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^-^1 


Boose  asd  Kestos  Series,  Ao.  l 


SHOD  AVITH  SILENCE 

A  TALE  OF  THE  FROXTIEK 


BY 


EDWARD    S.  ELLIS 

▲UTHOB  OK    "the  LOO  CABIN  SEKIES,"     "  DEEKFOOT  8£KI£S,' 
"  W"VOM1NO   SEMIS,"    ETC, 


PIIILADELPmA 
IIENRV  T.  (OATES  .t  CO. 


Copyright,  1896, 

3Y 

HENKY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 


CO-XTKNTS. 


AMfT 


CHArrrR 

I.  Is   THE   KeNTICKY    FoBf>T, 

II.  Bctwekn  Two  Fires, 

III.  The  Youxo  Pioneer, 

IV.  The  Flatbo.vt, 

V.  A    D.UIIKO    USDEBT.\KINC., 

VI.  Lv  THE  Shadow?, 

VII.  -V  Friendly  Call,  . 

VIII.  A  Disappearance,  . 

IX.  .\  JoYFVL  Discovery, 

X.  Fellow  Pa.ssenger.s 

XI.  The  SiirrKRKiiiK, 

XII.  Lively  Wurk, 

XIII.  The  Prisoner  of  State, 

XIV.  The  Torch, 

XV.  The  White  Cro^s,  . 

XVI.  The  C'REEPiNti  Shadow,  . 

XVII.  "Delays  are  Danoekous," 

XVIII.  In  the  Sweet  Lono  Ago, 

XIX.  The  Signal,     . 


PAGE 
5 

13 

20 

37 

50 

63 

72 

S2 

93 

102 

115 

120 

139 

152 

IGTj 

178 

190 

203 

210 


wiG'^ZVAli 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

XX.  Consultation  and  CouNSEii, 

XXI.  A  Fair  Warning, 

XXII.  An  Alarming  Discovery, 

XXIII.  What's  to  be  Done?  . 

XXIV.  A  Strange  Proposal,  , 
XXV.  By  the  Splintered  Oak, 

XXVI.  A  Slip  Somewhere, 

XXVII.  Besieged  and  Besiegers, 

XXVIII.  Jethro  Juggens  on  Guakd, 

XXIX.  On  the  Fallen  Tree, 

XXX.  Conclusion,   . 


PAGE 

228 
240 
252 
264 
276 
289 
301 
313 
326 
339 
353 


SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

IX    THE    KKNTUCKY    FOREST. 

SIMON  KENTON,  the  famous  ranger, 
was  threading  his  way  through  the 
depths  of  the  Kentucky  wilderness  one  sum- 
mer day  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago. 

Simon  Kenton,  in  the  history  of  the  west, 
is  ranked  second  to  the  great  pioneer,  Daniel 
Boone,  but  the  younger  scout  was  the  supe- 
ri(jr  of  the  more  celebrated  one  in  several  re- 
spects. 

The  stride  of  Kenton  wa.s  long  and  regular, 
and  the  most  astonishing  fact  about  his  pace 
was  that  it  seemed  absolutely  without  noise. 

Thus  far  all  was  well,  and  he  resumed  his 
rapid,  noiseless  tramp  in  the  direction  of  the 
Ohio  river,  which  was  his  destination. 

(5) 


6  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

It  was  midsummer,  and  the  sun  shone  with 
fervor  in  the  clearings  and  on  tlie  gleaming 
river,  but  a  delicious  coolness  brooded  in  the 
soft  gloom  of  the  forest,  where  not  a  ray  of  the 
fierce  orb  penetrated. 

He  took  the  utmost  care  to  avoid  leaving 
the  slightest  impression  on  the  damp  earth  im- 
mediately surrounding  the  spring,  for  he  did 
not  need  to  be  told  that  he  was  not  the  only 
person  who  knew  of  the  cool  fountain  in  the 
wilderness.  Many  a  dusky  inhabitant  of  the 
woods  had  knelt  as  he  had  done,  and  touched 
his  coppery  lips  to  the  crystal  element. 

Less  than  one  hundred  feet  from  the  spring 
Kenton  stopped  as  abruptly  as  if  he  had  seen 
a  coiled  rattlesnake  at  his  feet  in  front.  But 
it  was  nothing  that  the  eye  noted ;  his  ear  told 
him  that  man  or  animal  was  near  at  hand. 

The  head  of  the  hunter  darted  several  times 
to  the  right  and  left  in  a  quick,  nervous  way, 
and  then  became  stationary.  He  had  located 
the  point  whence  came  the  almost  inaudible 
rustle ;  it  was  directly  in  advance,  and  five 
seconds  later  he  knew  it  was  drawing  near. 

"  The  varmints  are  coming  this  way,"  re- 


IN  Till;  KKNTUCKY  FUIillST.  7 

fleeted  the  ranger;  "thev  know  what  it  is  to 
be  tliirsty  like  us  Christian  folks." 

The  tliought  was  hardly  formed  when  he 
dodi;ed  hehind  the  trunk  of  the  nearest  tree, 
standing  rigid  and  erect,  all  his  faculties  con- 
centrated in  listening. 

Another  moment  told  him  the  rod  man, 
as  he  knew  it  must  be,  was  approaching,  not 
directly  from  the  front,  but  by  a  diagniial 
course.  He  was  coming  to  the  spring,  but 
from  the  left  of  where  the  ranger  was  on 
watch.  The  latter  had  fixed  the  precise  point, 
and  peered  carefully  from  behind  the  shelter- 
ing trunk. 

All  at  once  there  was  a  flickering  of  shadows 
in  the  cool  gloom.  Then  an  Indian  warrior 
assumed  form.  He  wius  walking  with  the  same 
stride  the  white  man  used,  and  was  heading 
for  the  spring. 

Like  the  ranger,  too,  he  carried  his  rifle 
in  a  trailing  position,  though  it  is  hardly 
to  be  supposed  he  suspected  any  enemy  was 
near. 

The  single  Indian  would  have  been  of  slight 
account  to  a  scout  like  iSimon  Kenton,  but  tha 


8  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE, 

latter  knew,  even  before  his  eyes  told  liim  the 
fact,  the  other  was  not  alone. 

At  the  moment  he  came  ftiirly  into  view, 
the  head  and  shoulders  of  a  second  Indian  ap- 
peared directly  behind  him,  and  then  came  a 
third,  who  brought  up  the  rear  of  the  proces- 
sion, as  may  be  said. 

^' Three  of  'em,"  thought  the  scout,  "and 
they're  all  Shawanoes ;  they're  ugly  varmints, 
and  if  they  want  to  pass  without  saying 
'  Howdy  ?'  I  don't  know  as  Simon  Kenton  is 
going  to  get  mad  and  tear  his  hair." 

The  Indians  followed  the  fashion  common 
among  their  people  of  walking  directly  in  a 
line,  so  that  their  trail  appeared  as  if  made  by 
a  single  warrior. 

While  there  was  no  call  to  use  this  precau- 
tion in  the  present  instance,  yet  it  was  charac- 
teristic of  the  red  men  that  they  did  so.  They, 
like  the  scout,  moved  so  noiselessly  that  it  may 
be  said  they  were  "  shod  with  silence." 

It  was  easy  to  follow  their  movements  with- 
out risk,  because  the  Shawanoes  showed  no 
suspicion  of  the  presence  of  an  enemy  in  the 
neighborhood. 


IN  THE  KKNTUCKY  FOREST. 


Kenton  peeped  around  the  edge  of  the  bark, 
cxposinu:  only  one  eye  and  the  front  of  his 
cap,  and  ready  to  dodge  back  the  instant  it 
became  necessary. 

He  wouhl  not  have  dared  to  do  this  had  the 
red  men  known  a  white  man  was  within  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  them. 

The  view  of  the  Shawanoes  could  not  have 
been  better.  They  were  dressed  nuuli  the 
same  as  Kenton,  but  without  the  fringed  skirt 
he  wore. 

The  upper  part  of  their  bodies  was  almost 
bare,  for,  he  it  remembered,  it  was  the  summer 
season,  when  many  of  their  people  wear  no 
apparel  at  all  above  their  waists.  The  Ions:, 
coarse,  black  hair  dangled  about  their  shoul- 
ders, and  was  parted  in  the  middle.  A  num- 
ber of  stained  eagle  feathers  protruded  from 
the  crown,  and  the  faces,  ugly  enough  by 
nature,  were  rendered  tenfold  more  so  by 
the  splashes  of  red,  black  and  white  paint 
which  covered  forehead,  nose,  cheeks  and 
chin. 

A  suppressed  exclamation  escaped  Kenton. 
He  had  recognized  the  rear  Indian  as  Wa-ou- 


10  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

moil,  or  The  Panther,  one  of  the  fiercest  and 
most  cruel  chiefs  of  the  Shawanoes. 

The  outrages  committed  by  this  savage 
caused  his  name  to  be  dreaded  alono;  the 
Ohio  and  Kentucky  frontier  above  that  of  all 
others. 

Kenton  had  often  expressed  the  wish  that 
some  time  he  might  meet  The  Panther  alone  in 
the  depth  of  the  forest  where  the  chances 
were  equal,  and  there  was  no  possibility  of  any 
one  interfering  with  them. 

"  From  that  time  forrad,"  said  he  to  his 
friend  Boone,  "  Wa-on-mon,  being  the  same 
is  The  Panther,  or  a  young  gentleman  of  the 
name  of  Kenton  will  retire  from  the  bus'ness 
of  loafing  in  the  woods,  and  I've  a  sort  of  feel- 
ing that  it  won't  be  myself  that  will  do  the 
retiring  bus'ness,  but  I  can't,  howsumever,  be 
sartin." 

Had  the  terrible  Shawanoe  been  alone,  the 
account  would  have  been  settled  then  and 
there  in  true  frontier  fashion,  but  there  could 
be  no  doubt  of  the  courage  and  skill  of  The 
Panther's  companions. 

Brave  as  was  Simon  Kenton,  he  had  too 


IN  Tin:  KKNTICK.Y  FOREST.  11 

inuili  ilisnvtioii  to  cnfi^age  in  a  conflict  when 
there  was  no  oarlhly  })rus!pcct  of  success. 

Meanwhile,  tlie  three  Intlians  strode  for- 
ward until  they  reached  the  spring  whicli  the 
rani;er  had  left  only  a  few  minutes  before. 

There,  without  hesitation,  they  took  turns 
in  lying  on  their  faces  ami  (jualling  from  the 
cool  fluid  until  their  thirst  was  satisfied. 

All  the  white  man's  interest  now  centred 
in  the  question  whether  those  vagrants  of  the 
woods  would  detect  his  faint  footprints. 

Skilfully  a<  Kenton  had  liidden  his  trail, 
none  knew  better  than  he  that  if  the  Shaw- 
anoes  made  search  they  must  disctjver  it. 

And  what   then  ? 

Having  drank  wliat  they  wished,  the  group 
stood  near  each  other  for  a  minute  or  two,  ex- 
changing words  in  their  guttural  fashion, 
while  their  black  eyes  wandered  around  the 
woods. 

Sometimes  their  hideous  faces  were  turned 
toward  the  vigilant  white  man,  then  their  pro- 
files showed,  and  again  nothing  but  the  black, 
dangling  hair  with  the  stained  feathers  pro- 
jecting therefrom. 


12  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

All  at  once,  The  Panther  looked  at  the 
ground  as  though  something  had  caught  his 
attention. 

His  companions  continued  glancing  here 
and  there,  but  the  chief  did  not  speak  or  no- 
tice what  they  said.  Suddenly,  he  partly 
stooped  and  uttered  an  exclamation,  plainly 
heard  by  Kenton,  who  muttered : 

"  The  varmint  has  diskivered  my  trail,  sure 
enough  !    Now  the  trouble  begins !" 

He  spoke  the  truth. 


BETWEEN  TWO  FIRE3.  18 


CHAPTER  II. 

BETWEEN   TWO    FIRES. 

THE  three  Shawauoes,  alter  scrutinizing  the 
ground  near  the  spring,  straightened  up 
at  the  same  moment,  so  simultaneously  indeed, 
that  the  head  of  one  of  them  humped  against 
that  of  The  Panther. 

The  latter  uttered  an  angry  exclamation, 
hut  the  Hurry  passed  the  next  moment,  for 
all  were  interested  in  the  startling  discovery 
just  made. 

They  knew  a  stranger  had  been  at  the 
spring  a  brief  while  before,  but  since  he  wore 
moccasins  like  themselves,  they  could  not  know, 
of  a  certainty,  whether  he  was  a  white  or  red 
man. 

The  Panther  pointed  to  the  almost  invisible 
footprints  left  by  the  visitor  wht-n  he  moved 
towards  the  river,  which  was  not  distant. 

The  eyea  of  tiie   party  were  able  to  follow 


14  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  trail  for  a  rod  or  two,  and  to  note  its 
course,  and  doing  so  their  vision  naturally 
passed  beyond  and  took  note  of  the  trees  in 
advance. 

Meanwhile,  Kenton  was  peering  around  the 
edge  of  the  tree.  He  had  removed  his  cap, 
which  he  held  in  one  hand,  while  the  deadly 
rifle  was  grasj)ed  in  the  other  ready  for  instant 
use. 

"  This  ain't  the  most  comfortable  spot  I've 
stood  in,"  he  reflected,  "  though  I've  knowed 
powerful  worse." 

The  time  came  very  quickly  when  it  would 
not  do  to  continue  his  scrutiny.  Slight  as  was 
the  exposure  of  his  face,  it  was  certain  to  at- 
tract attention  whenever  the  gaze  of  the  red 
men  should  rest  upon  the  tree  itself. 

The  scout,  therefore,  drew  back,  replaced 
his  cap,  grasped  his  gun  more  firmly,  and 
waited. 

The  eye  was  useless  for  the  moment. 
EA'^erything  depended  on  hearing,  as  it  had 
on  more  than  one  occasion  in  his  experi- 
ence. 

He  was  counting  upon  detecting  the  noise 


BETWKnX  TWO  FIRES.  15 

of  their  approach  in  case  they  advanced. 
There  secnu'd  no  reason  why  tliey  slionld 
bestow  special  attention  upon  tlie  trunk  he- 
liind  which  lie  had  taken  shelter,  for  it  was 
similar  to  others  in  the  iniinediate  neighhor- 
hood,  and  there  was  nothing  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  trail  to  reveal  his  exact  hiding 
place,  for  human  eye  could  not  trace  the  foot- 
prints from  the  spring  to  the  tree,  so  long  as 
no  change  was  made  in  the  position  of  the 
spectators. 

But  the  most  natural  action  of  the  Shawa- 
noes  was  to  follow  the  trail.  The  fact  that  but 
a  single  person  had  preceded  them  at  the 
spring  pointed  to  his  being  a  white  man,  and 
therefore  an  enemy,  for  the  American  race  is 
not  addicted  to  solitary  wandering. 

Nothing,  therefore,  appeared  more  likely 
than  that  the  Indians  would  approach  the 
sp<jt  where  the  ranger  stood  at  bay. 

Kenton  had  fixed  his  course  of  action. 
Men  like  him  are  obliged  to  think  and  a<'t 
quickly. 

If  tiie  Shawanoes  were  coming,  his  inten- 
tion   was    to  take    to    flight.      As   yet  he   had 


16  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

never  met  an  Indian  who  could  outrun  him, 
and  he  had  no  fear  of  being  overtaken  by  the 
three. 

A  prompt  start  would  enable  him  to  dodge 
among  the  trees,  while  increasing  the  space 
between  them,  and  so  confuse  their  aim  that 
there  was  little  danger  of  being  hit.  Besides 
he  was  not  without  hope  that  he  might  cause 
his  enemies  to  separate  while  pursuing  him. 

In  that  event,  one  or  more  of  them  would 
be  likely  to  find  the  tables  turned,  for  Simon 
Kenton  was  never  known  to  fl^e  from  any 
single  Indian  that  ever  lived. 

One  minute — two  minutes — three  of  them 
passed,  and  still  the  trunk  of  the  oak  was  not 
more  rigid  than  the  body  of  the  ranger.  He 
had  not  stirred  a  muscle;  he  was  listening 
intently. 

But  to  his  surprise  his  ears  told  him  noth- 
ing. Not  the  slightest  rustling  or  sound 
came  through  the  intervening  space.  The 
woods  were  as  silent  as  at  "  creation's  morn." 

This  would  not  do.  It  was  not  to  be  sup- 
posed that  The  Panther  and  his  companions 
would    remain    motionless.     They    must   be 


BETWEEN'  TWO  FIRES.  17 

nearing  the  tree,  but  at  a  pace  so  noiseless 
that  even  Kenton  couhl  not  detect  it. 

If  such  were  tlie  fact,  he  had  only  to  wait 
Tvhere  he  was  for  a  brief  wliile  to  find  himself 
in  an  inextricable  trap.  The  red  men  would 
be  upon  him  before  lie  could  escape. 

The  eye  must  be  appealed  to  once  more. 
Accordingly  he  darted  his  head  forward  and 
back  again  like  a  flash,  doing  it  with  a  quick- 
ness that  had  all  three  of  the  Shawanoes  been 
on  the  watch  they  could  not  have  shot  him. 

Brief  as  was  the  glance  of  Kenton,  it  was 
sufficient,  for  it  took  in  his  whole  field  of 
vision.     The  result  was  astounding. 

Not  a  Shawanoe  was  in  sight.  The  three 
had  vanished  as  utterly  as  if  the  earth  had 
opened  and  swallowed  them  up. 

Whither  had  thev  gone?  For  a  sinirle 
moment  the  ranger  was  bewildered  by  the 
amazing  discovery.  Then  his  consummate 
woodcraft  came  to  liis  Inlp. 

The  red  men  had  seen  him,  despite  the 
care  he  used  in  peering  from  behind  the 
tree. 

The  corner  of  his   forehead,  the  eye  and 

2 


18  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  temple,  slight  as  was  their  exposure, 
had  been  observed  by  them,  and  they  knew 
on  the  instant  they  were  close  to  the  white 
man  who  had  taken  refuge  behind  the  trunk 
of  the  oak. 

Like  a  flash  came  the  full  knowledge  to 
Kenton.  The  three  had  separated,  and  were 
surrounding  him.  Perhaps  they  had  already 
done  so. 

If  that  took  place  nothing  could  save  him, 
for  he  would  be  exposed  to  the  fire  of  at  least 
one  of  them,  no  matter  how  he  crouched  and 
sou2:ht  to  shelter  himself. 

Instead  of  looking  in  the  direction  of  the 
spring,  Kenton  glanced  to  the  right  and  left, 
to  learn  whether  the  Shawanoes  had  already 
reached  a  position  from  which  to  command  his 
own. 

The  first  glance  revealed  nothing,  but  a 
second  showed  him  the  figure  of  an  Indian 
as  he  darted  from  behind  one  tree  to  the  shel- 
ter of  another. 

He  was  far  over  to  the  right,  but  had  al- 
ready advanced  so  far  that  he  may  be  de- 
scribed as  almost  abreast  of  the  white  man. 


BETWEKN  TWO  FIRES.  19 

If  tlie  Other  Shawanot's,  or,  iiidfcnl,  if  one  of 
them,  hail  .succeeded  in  doing  as  well,  Ken- 
ton's situation  was  already  hopeless. 

Naturally,  a  j)erson  in  his  dilemma  would 
liave  kept  watch  for  the  next  movement  of  the 
enemy,  of  whom  he  had  just  caught  a  glimpse. 

Instead  of  doing  that  the  ranger  instantly 
turned  his  attention  to  the  opposite  point,  hold- 
ing his  rifle  ready  for  use. 

lie  fancied  he  saw  the  serpent-like  eye  and 
the  painted  edge  of  a  warrior's  face  beside 
the  trunk  of  a  tree  only  a  few  rods  away,  as 
if  watchinor  the  white  man  and  makinjr  readv 
to  fire. 

Kenton  was  not  mistaken,  for  while  stealth- 
ily peeping,  the  muzzle  of  the  Indian's  gun 
was  shoved  into  view  and  levelled  at  him. 
The  miscreant  wiis  about  to  lire. 

l)Ut  to  do  so  he  must,  of  necessity,  expose 
a  jiortion  of  his  own  head,  for  otherwise  he 
could  secure  no  aim. 

Kye  could  hardly  note  the  quickness  with 
which  the  ranger's  rifle  was  brought  to  his 
shoulder,  aimed,  ami  discharged  straight  at 
the  redskin  who  was  seeking  his  life. 


20  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  shot  was  unerring.  A  wild  cry  rang 
through  the  woods,  the  Shawauoe  flung  his 
arms  aloft,  and,  clutching  his  gun,  plunged 
forward  from  his  hiding  place,  and  fell  for- 
ward on  his  face,  as  dead  as  Julius  Caesar. 

Kenton  knew  where  one  of  the  others  was, 
but  had  no  knowdedge  of  the  location  of  the 
third. 

It  would  not  do,  however,  to  attempt  to  in- 
vestigate. This  was  one  of  those  occasions 
when  a  person  must  take  desperate  chances, 
and  the  ranger  took  them. 

Crouching  low,  as  a  man  flings  himself 
forward  on  the  back  of  his  horse,  he  ran  with 
his  utmost  speed  straight  toward  the  spot 
where  the  victim  of  his  marksmanship  lay. 

He  reasoned  that  a  second  Indian  was  not 
likely  to  be  very  near  him,  though  it  was  not 
impossible. 

The  fugitive  showed  amazing  swiftness,  but 
had  not  taken  a  dozen  steps  when  he  heard 
a  shout,  and  glancing  over  his  shoulder  saw 
both  the  Shawanoes  in  pursuit. 

At  the  same  instant  one  of  them  fired  his 
gun,  and,  despite  the  flurry  and  excitement 


BET\Vi:r,N  TWO  FIRE3.  21 

of  the  moment,  Kenton  heard  it  cut  a  t\vi<r 
in  two  within  ii  foot  of  his  face. 

"  Rather  close,"  he  reflected  ;  *'  but  as  h)ng 
as  they  don't  come  any  nearer  than  that  they 
won't  do  any  damage.  But  there's  another 
gun  to  be  lieard  from." 

And  wliile  the  words  were  in  his  mouth 
it  was  hoard  from.  It  was  The  Panther  him- 
self who  fired  the  second  shot,  and  which 
knocked  the  coon-skin  cap  from  the  head  of 
the  fugitive. 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  you  shall  have  that," 
exclaimed  the  ranger,  snatching  up  the  cov- 
ering, flourishing  it  aloft,  and  giving  utter- 
ance to  a  shout  of  defiance,  as  he  replaced  it. 

All  three  guns  were  now  empty ;  and  had 
Kenton  chosen  to  do  so,  he  might  have 
come  to  a  halt  and  safely  reloaded  his  own 
weapon. 

In  those  days,  the  recharging  of  a  muzzle- 
loading,  flint-lock  ritle  was  a  big  task  com- 
pared to  tlie  operation  of  replenishing  the 
chambers  of  one  of  our  modern  weapons.  In- 
stead of  doing  that,  Simcjn  Kenton  had  to  re- 
sort to  a  startling  i)rocedure. 


22  SHOD  WITH  SILENCK 

It  has  been  stated  that  he  ran  directly  to- 
ward the  prostrate  body  of  the  victim  of  his 
marksmanship. 

The  moment  after  The  Pantlier  fired,  Ken- 
ton reached  the  rigid  figure,  and  stooping 
quickly,  wrenched  the  weapon  from  the  tight 
grasp  of  the  warrior,  wheeled  and  brought  it 
to  his  shoulder. 

Had  the  chance  presented  itself,  he  would 
have  brought  down  one  of  his  pursuers.  Then 
with  only  the  other  left,  he  would  have  had 
it  out  with  him  then  and  there. 

And  then,  too,  the  long-standing  account 
between  him  and  The  Panther  would  have 
been  closed. 

But,  it  will  be  noted,  that  there  was  much 
more  in  this  act  than  that  of  firing  the  first 
shot.  Wonderfully  agile  as  was  the  ranger, 
his  purpose  was  read  before  he  could  carry 
it  into  execution.  By  the  time  he  had 
brought  the  weapon  to  a  level,  no  target  was 
in  sight.  The  two  had  darted  behind  the 
nearest  trees. 

It  looked  as  if  the  advantage  was  with  the 
single   man,   but  it  was   far   from  being  so. 


BETWEKN'  TWO  FlRt:S.  23 

AVliile  the  warriors  stood  witli   their   bodies 
etVectiially  armored  tliev  were  reloading. 

l>y  and  by,  they  wuuUl  resume  their  oM 
tactics  of  separating,  and,  despite  his  watch- 
fulness and  skill,  would  soon  place  him  at 
their  mercy. 

There  was  but  one  thing  to  do — that  was 
to  continue  his  flight,  but  Kenton  was  loth 
to  abandon  the  field  without  another  shot  at 
his  enemies. 

Instead,  therefore,  of  wheeling  about  and 
taking  to  his  heels,  he  walked  backward,  with 
his  face  toward  his  foes,  and  grasping  the  two 
guns,  which,  being  cumbersome,  made  an 
awkward  burden  for  him. 

Before  either  of  the  tShawanoes  could  fire, 
he  must  show  a  portion  of  his  own  body 
to  the  extent  of  a  jKirt  of  his  head  and 
shoulder.  Kenton  was  on  the  alert  for  that 
opening,  and  ready  to  take  instant  advantage 
of  it. 

In  that  sweeping  glance  lie  cast  to  the  rear, 
at  the  moment  the  first  shot  was  discharged 
at  him,  Kenton  identified  The  Panther. 

He  was  on  the  left,  and  was   the  one  whom 


24:  SHOD  AVITH  SILENCE. 

the  ranger  determined  to  bring  down,  if  it  was 
within  the  range  of  possibility. 

Whether  the  chief  would  be  the  first  to 
load  and  sight  his  gun  w^ould  soon  be  seen. 
That  he  and  his  companion  were  ramming 
down  the  charges  was  certain,  and  very  soon 
they  would  be  ready  for  serious  business. 

Kenton's  eagerness  to  rid  the  frontier  of 
this  scourge  led  him  to  run  more  risk  than 
he  would  have  done  under  other  circum- 
stances. 

He  continued  slowly  retreating,  on  the 
alert  for  the  first  opening,  which  was  not 
long  in  coming. 

AVith  a  thrill  of  pleasure  he  noted  that  The 
Panther  beat  his  companion  in  recharging 
his  rifle.  Kenton  saw  the  gleaming  eye  rang- 
ing along  the  sights  and  the  crooked  elbow 
and  a  part  of  the  shoulder. 

Dropping  his  own  weapon,  so  as  to  leave 
his  hands  unencumbered,  he  aimed  the 
strange  weapon  with  lightning-like  sudden- 
ness. He  knew  his  eye  w^as  true,  and  now 
everything  depended  on  who  fired  first. 

The  white  man  was  a  moment  ahead  of  the 


BETWEIIN  TWO  IIKCS.  -O 

other  ill  pressing  the  tiig^^cr,  but  ahis  !  there 
was  no  report.  When  the  former  owner  of 
the  ritle  plunged  to  the  ground  he  must  have 
injured  it  in  some  way,  for  it  was  useless. 

With  a  furious  exclamation.  Kenton  flung 
it  from  him,  snatched  up  his  own,  and  duck- 
ing his  head,  leaped  behind  shelter  betbre 
either  of  the  others  couhl  fire. 

At  this  juncture,  when  it  seemed  as  if 
matters  could  be  no  worse,  the  ranger  made 
the  terrifying  discovery  that  in  addition  to 
the  two  Indians  in  front,  a  third  person  had 
come  from  somewhere,  and  had  got  directly 
behind  him. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  scout  to  escape 
one  without  placing  himself  at  the  mercy  of 
the  other. 


26  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    YOUNG    PIONEEK. 

WHAT  more  frightful  position  can  be 
imagined  than  that  of  a  man  with  an 
unloaded  gun  in  his  hands  and  with  two 
fierce  Indians  in  front,  each  with  a  fully 
charged  weapon,  eager  to  fire  upon  him, 
followed  by  the  appearance  of  a  third  war- 
rior directly  behind  him,  also  equally  ardent 
to  take  part  in  the  final  scene? 

Such  was  the  fearful  dilemma  in  which 
Simon  Kenton  was  sure  he  was  caught,  and, 
numerous  as  had  been  the  thrilling  encoun- 
ters in  which  he  had  participated,  there  was 
never  anything  quite  as  bad  as  that. 

But,  and  not  for  the  first  time  in  his  life, 
the  great  scout  and  ranger  made  a  mistake. 
He  heard  the  sound  only  a  short  distance  to 
the  rear  which  terrified  him,  but  he  was  not 


Tin:  YOUNG  PIONEER.  L' / 

the  man  to  surreiuler  or  despair,  no  matti-r 
how  hopeless  the  ease  might  seem. 

Kneeling  on  the  grounil,  so  as  partially  to 
screen  his  hodv,  he  be2:an  liurriedlv  reloading: 
his  ritle,  determined  to  go  down,  if  go  he 
mnst,  with  eolors  ilying. 

"Hello,  Kenton,  what's  up?" 

It  wtis  not  an  Indian  that  asked  the  ques- 
tion, hut  one  of  his  own  race.  Tlie  amazed 
ranger  paused,  with  the  ramrod  projecting 
from  the  barrel  of  his  gun,  ready  to  jiress 
the  leaden  bullet  in  place,  and  looked  behind 
him. 

No  more  welcome  sight  can  be  conceived 
than  that  which  met  his  gaze.  A  vounsr 
man,  hardly  twenty  years  of  age,  but  fully 
grown,  and  as  fine  a  specimen  of  the  back- 
woods athlete  as  himself,  stood  in  full  view 
not  twenty  yards  away. 

He  had  heard  the  shots  a  few  minutes 
before,  and  hurried  forwanl  t(^  learn  the 
cause.  The  action  of  the  ranger  proved  that 
something  stirring  was  going  on,  but  seeing 
nothing  of  the  Shawanoes,  the  youth  did  not 
fully  comprehend  matters,  hence  his  query. 


28  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Quick !  Ashbriclge  !  Get  behind  a  tree. 
The  varmints  are  out  there  !" 

Without  further  questioning  the  young 
man  instantly  obej^ed  and  stood  at  bay. 
Kenton  now  rose  to  his  feet,  and,  keeping  the 
tree  between  him  and  the  warriors,  hastily 
finished  reloading  his  rifle. 

The  youth,  whom  he  had  addressed  as  Ash- 
bridge,  being  somewhat  to  the  rear,  and  thus 
further  from  the  Shawanoes,  was  prevented 
from  seeing  where  they  stood. 

But  for  that,  doubtless,  he  would  have  re- 
ceived one  of  the  shots  that  were  waiting  and 
on  the  point  of  being  fired  at  Kenton. 

But  if  Ashbridge  failed  to  grasp  the  whole 
situation,  The  Panther  and  his  companion 
were  quick  to  note  the  changed  conditions. 

Instead  of  holding  their  places,  and  engag- 
ing in  a  contest  where  the  chances  were  equal, 
they  fled  through  the  woods  with  the  s^Dced  of 
the  wind.  They  were  gone  before  even  so 
matchless  a  marksman  as  Simon  Kenton  could 
give  them  a  parting  shot. 

The  ranger  held  his  ground  until  certain  no 
enemies   were  near,  when   he   turned   about 


THE  YOUNG  PIOKEER.  29 

and  strode  toward  the  young  man,  wlio 
stepped  from  behind  the  tree  and  extended 
his  hand. 

"  I'm  powerful  ghid  to  see  you,"  was  the 
greeting  of  the  elder,  "  and  the  wust  thing  I 
ever  done  you  was  to  think  you  were  one  of 
the  varmints  instead  of  a  white  man." 

"  No  harm  was  done,"  was  the  cheery  reply 
of  the  youth  ;  "  did  this  little  affair  amount  to 
anything?" 

Kenton,  in  a  few  words,  made  known  what 
has  already  been  told  the  reader.  The  lite- 
less  figure  a  short  distance  away  told  its  own 
impressive  story,  and  the  two,  though  familiar 
with  scenes  of  violence  on  the  frontier,  gladly 
moved  in  the  direction  of  the  Ohio. 

**IIow  comes  it,  George,"  added  Kenton, 
addressing  his  companion  by  his  given  name, 
"  that  yuu  are  in  these  parts  ?  I  didn't  expect 
to  set  eyes  on  you  afore  night." 

"Well.  VdU  understand  how  it  is.  Father 
and  I  came  down  thr  river  last  spring  in  tlu^ 
Ihiiboat,  landed  several  miles  below,  put  up 
our  cabin,  cleared  off  some  land,  and  got 
things  ready  for  the  folks.     He  left  a  couple 


30  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

of  weeks  ago  for  our  old  home,  to  bring  down 
mother  and  Mabel.  I  stayed  behind  to  look 
after  the  cabin,  but  it  was  mighty  lonesome. 
I  figured  out  that  it  was  about  time  for  the 
flatboat  to  be  in  sight,  and  started  up  the 
river  to  meet  it.  There  are  no  animals  at 
home  to  look  after,  and  I  don't  believe  any 
one  will  run  away  with  the  house  while  I'm 
gone." 

''  Not  likely ;  but  if  any  of  the  varmints 
happen  that  way  they'll  be  sure  to  burn  it 
down." 

"  They  would  do  that  if  I  was  there." 

"  Not  if  you  made  as  good  use  of  your  rifle 
as  you  know  how.  I  was  on  the  way  to  call 
on  you,  meanin'  to  stay  a  day  or  two." 

"  No  one  could  have  been  as  welcome,  un- 
less it  was  father  and  mother  and  sister. 
Shall  we  go  back  there  now  ?" 

"You're  looking  for  the  flatboat?" 

"  Yes ;  as  I  calculate,  it  must  be  due,  un- 
less," added  the  youth,  with  a  distressed  ex- 
pression, "  something  has  happened." 

"  Let  us  hope  not,  though  there's  no  saying 
what  may  come  in  these   parts ;    I've  never 


THE  YOUNG  PIONEEK.  31 

knowed  the  redskins  to  l>e  uglier  ;  one  of  them 
two  that  j^lipped  away  was  tliat  eonfoundeil 
Wa-on-nion.  or  The  Panther.  Me  and  him 
have  got  to  have  it  out  one  of  these  times  ;  he 
knows  it  as  well  as  me,  and  I  was  hoping  we'd 
■wind  up  the  business  to-day." 

While  the  two  conversed,  they  walked  in 
the  direction  of  the  river,  which  now  was  not 
far  oir.  The  youth,  as  well  as  the  elder,  did 
not  forget  their  vigilance,  and  proceeded  with 
the  utmost  stealth. 

There  was  some  fear  that  The  Panther  and 
his  com})anion  might  attempt  to  steal  ujjon 
tliem  unawares,  hut  had  they  tried  it  they 
would  have  fared  ill. 

Such  a  proceeding  as  catching  the  white 
men  oif  their  guard  ranked  among  the  im- 
possibilities. 

"  Have  you  and  your  father  had  any  trouble 
with  the  varmints?"  asked  Kenton. 

"  Nothing  serious,"  replied  young  Ash- 
bridge ;  "we  didn't  see  a  sign  of  the  Indians 
until  most  of  the  land  wa.s  cleared  and  the 
cabin  finished.  A  couple  of  Wyandots  (I 
think  they  were)  came  out  of  the  woods  one 


32  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

day,  and  had  a  talk  with  us.  One  of  them 
spoke  English  quite  well ;  we  cooked  some 
venison,  and  they  ate  with  us." 

"  That's  right  enough,  only  I  want  to  warn 
you  not  to  be  fooled  into  thinkin'  that  it  has 
made  'em  friends.  Did  you  ever  see  anything 
more  of  em  ?" 

The  face  of  young  Ashbridge  assumed  an 
anxious  exj)ression  as  he  answered  : 

"  I'm  not  sure  about  that,  Kenton." 

"How's  that?" 

"  About  a  month  afterward,  as  it  was  grow- 
ing dark,  two  Indians  i^addled  past.  They 
kept  so  near  the  other  shore  that  we  couldn't 
see  clearly,  but  when  they  were  opposite  they 
fired  at  us.  One  of  the  bullets  wounded 
father's  hand.  He  said  he  believed  they  were 
the  ones  that  we  had  fed,  but  I  was  sure  he 
was  mistaken." 

"  The  chances  are  10  to  1  your  father  war 
right  and  you  war  wrong,"  was  the  comment 
of  Kenton. 

"  And  father  has  gone  back  to  our  old  home 
to  bring  mother  and  my  little  sister  Mabel," 
repeated  young  Ashbridge,  with  such  an  ex- 


THE  YOUNT.  PIONEER.  83 

prcs^ion  of  anguish  on  his  face  that  Konton';^ 
heart  was  toiiciic'd. 

"  Here's  hopiiii:;  it'll  eouie  out  right,  luit  1 
bear  that  Pres.  Washington  is  going  to  send 
soldiers  in  these  parts  to  bring  the  varmints 
to  tarnis.  That  will  be  a  good  thing,  pro- 
vided they  don't  get  sarved  like  Col.  Craw- 
ford and  the  rest  of  'em  that  don't  know  any 
more  about  fightin'  varmints  than  I  do  about 
])laying  president  of  the  country.  Hello, 
here  we  are !" 

For  some  minutes  the  light  had  been  in- 
creasing in  front  of  them,  as  though  they 
were  approaching  an  opening  in  the  forest. 

Instead  of  that,  however,  they  came  out  on 
the  shore  of  the  beautiful  Ohio  river,  lined  at 
that  time  with  vast  forests,  and  containing 
only  here  and  there  the  gi'rms  of  the  j>opu- 
lous  cities  and  towns  which  now  mark  the 
flourishing  west. 

As  the  couple  halted  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  standing  within  a  cou[)le  of  paces  of 
the  water,  the  scene  rc.seMd)led  that  which 
would  have  presented  itself  had  they  made 
their    visit  hundreds   of   years  before,  when 


34  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Columbus  first  set  foot  on  the  shores  of  the 
new  world. 

Not  a  living  person  beside  themselves  was 
within  sight,  nor  did  they  catch  the  first  view 
of  a  dwelling  of  a  human  being. 

A  mile  below  the  river  wound  through  the 
luxuriant  forest,  as  though  it  were  swal- 
lowed up  by  it,  while  a  sweeping  curve  a 
shorter  distance  above  shut  off  all  view  in 
that  direction. 

The  vast  gloomy  wilderness  stretched  to 
the  horizon  on  every  hand,  coming  down  to 
the  margin  of  the  water,  and  overhanging 
and  shading  the  clear  current  that  flowed 
beneath. 

Looking  directly  across  and  inland,  a  faint 
shadowy  line  showed  against  the  blue  sky. 

It  might  have  been  caused  by  the  smoke 
from  a  pioneer's  cabin,  but  more  likely  as- 
cended from  the  campfire  of  some  of  the  red 
men  wandering  through  the  forest  and  look- 
ing with  savage  hatred  upon  the  efforts  of  the 
palefaces  to  wrest  their  hunting  grounds  from 
them. 

Kenton's  familiarity  with  the  region  told 


THE  YOUXC.  PIONEER.  85 

him  that  no  white  man  liad  s^ettled  near 
that  spot,  and  unless  some  of  his  own  friends 
had  hahed  tliere  and  kindk'd  the  lire  in 
deiiauee  of  the  warriors,  it  belonged  to  the 
latter. 

"It  could  hardly  be  that  the  flatboat 
drifted  i»ast  while  I  was  away  from  the 
river?"  was  the  inquiring  remark  of  George 
Ashbridge. 

'*  It  might  have  happened,  but  it  isn't 
likely,"  was  the  reply  of  Kenton  ;  "  for  as  I 
cae'late,  you  haven't  been  out  of  sight  of  the 
river  for  more'n  two  hours." 

"  Hardly  that." 

"The  fact  of  it  is  I  know  the  boat  hasn't 
gone  past." 

"  How  can  you  be  certain  of  that  ?" 

"'Cause  it's  in  sight  now,  just  coming 
round  the  bend." 

The  startled  youth  wheeled  and  glanced 
upstream.  There,  sure  enough,  was  a  cum- 
bersome flatboat,  with  the  long  swee]>ing  oar 
projecting  from  the  front,  and  a  second  from 
the  rear,  just  coming  into  sight  ui)strcam. 

"  That   must   be  father  and  mother  !"  ex- 


36  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

claimed  the  son,  with  suppressed  joy ;  "  how 
thankful  I  am  that  all  has  gone  well." 

Kenton  made  no  reply  to  this  joyous  re- 
mark. Shading  his  eyes  with  one  hand,  he 
stepped  so  near  the  water  that  a  moccasin  was 
moistened,  and  studied  with  the  utmost  keen- 
ness the  approaching  craft. 

He  held  this  position  for  fully  ten  minutes 
without  stirring  or  speaking.  Then  he  lowered 
his  hand,  straightened  up,  and  sighed. 

''What's  the  matter?"  asked  the  scared 
youth  at  his  side. 

"  Younker,  make  up  your  mind  to  bear  it 
like  a  man." 

''Bear  what?"  gasped  George  Ashbridge. 

"  You  spoke  of  something  happening  to 
the  flatboat.    Wal,  that  thing  has  happened !" 


THE  FLATBOAT.  37 


CITAPTKR  IV. 

THE     ILATBOAT, 

ri^IIE  flatboats  in  use  on  the  Ohio  and 
X  other  streams  a  century  anil  more  ago 
were  of  the  simplest  construction  conceivable. 
Tluv  were  scows,  with  flat  bottoms,  and  a 
■width  a  tliird  or  one-half  their  length. 

The  planking  at  the  sides  was  two  or 
three  feet  in  height,  and,  of  course,  bullet- 
proof. 

One  end  was  sometimes  boarded  over,  so 
as  to  give  shelter  to  the  occu])ants  at  night  or 
when  the  weather  was  b;id.  In  the  other 
portion  were  piled  the  goods  of  the  emigrants, 
a  part  being  set  apart  for  the  horses  anil  cattle 
belonging  to  the  pioneer. 

The  flatboat  could  go  down  but  not  up 
stream,  since  the  only  motive  power  was  the 
current. 

A  long  sweeping  oar  swung  on  a  pivot  at 


38  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  front,  and  another  at  the  stern.  By 
means  of  these  the  boat  could  be  warped  in- 
shore or  away  from  it,  or  its  position  shifted 
while  floating  down  the  river,  at  the  wish  of 
the  occu|)ants. 

Had  young  George  Ashbridge  known  less 
of  the  wonderful  woodcraft  of  Simon  Kenton, 
or  had  not  his  deepest  affections  been  con- 
cerned, he  might  have  doubted  the  declara- 
tion of  the  ranger  that  "  something  had  hap- 
pened "  to  the  flatboat. 

That  "  something  "  meant  the  worst,  for  it 
signified  an  attack  and  massacre,  or  the  cap- 
tivity of  the  people  on  board. 

In  truth,  the  scout  saw  more  in  the  pres- 
ence of  The  Panther  than  did  his  compan- 
ion. There  had  been  well-founded  rumors, 
as  he  declared,  for  several  weeks  that  the  lead- 
ing tribes  in  the  southwest  were  making  ready 
to  go  on  the  war-path. 

He  believed  The  Panther's  business  in  that 
section,  when  his  home  was  a  long  distance  to 
the  south,  meant  mischief. 

Kenton  was  afraid  the  Indians  were  prowl- 
ing along  the  Ohio,   and   the   flatboat  upon 


THE  FLATBOAT.  39 

Tfliich  Mr.  Ashl)ri(lge  aiul  his  family  were  due 
hail  been  suecessfully  assailed. 

When,  therefore,  lie  caught  sight  of  the 
cumbersome  craft  slowly  swinging  around 
the  bend  upstream,  he  began  minutely  study- 
inf'  it,  more  than  half  convinced  that  it  had 
been  overwhelmed  by  disaster. 

h  will  be  remembered  that  Kenton  and  the 
youth  stood  close  to  the  stream,  so  as  to  be 
in  plain  sight  of  any  one  on  the  other  side 
or  on  the  river. 

Consequently,  if  the  occupants  were  alert, 
as  they  must  be,  they  would  quickly  discover 
the  figures  of  the  two  hunters  on  the  Ken- 
tucky shore.  Let  this  be  remembered  in 
following  the  incidents  we  have  set  out  to  de- 
scribe. 

For  two  or  three  minutes  after  this  scrutiny 
began,  Kenton  detected  no  sign  of  life  on 
board  the  craft.  This  signified  nothing,  for 
the  people  could  very  well  keep  out  of  sight 
without  exj)Osing  themselves. 

(Jften,  when  maintaining  the  closest  watch 
of  the  shores,  the  enemies  could  catch  no 
glimpse  of  any  one  on  the  boat. 


40  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Then,  the  long,  sweeping  paddle,  thrust  for- 
ward like  an  index  finger,  was  dipped  in  the 
water  and  swayed  slowly  to  the  left. 

The  sparkle  of  the  disturbed  water  was 
plainly  seen  by  Kenton,  who  even  fancied 
that  he  observed  the  head  of  the  man  near 
the  middle  of  the  craft  as  he  walked  from 
one  side  to  the  other.  If  so,  the  distance 
was  too  great  to  recognize  the  person  at  the 
oar. 

The  position  of  the  rear  sweep  prevented 
Kenton  learning  whether  that  was  also  in 
motion,  but  the  vigor  showed  in  the  first  case 
convinced  him  that  the  intention  of  those  on 
board  was  to  work  the  boat  toward  the  Ken- 
tucky side,  swinging  it  to  land  near  the  spot 
where  the  spectators  were  standing. 

The  oar  was  swayed  three  times,  and  then 
it  suddenly  ceased.  The  presence  of  Ash- 
bridge  and  Kenton  had  evidently  been  noted 
on  the  flatboat,  and  the  first  intention  was 
abandoned.     They  were  studying  the  couple. 

The  Indians  along  the  frontier  resorted  to 
many  devices  to  bring  the  settlers  within 
reach. 


THE  FLATBOAT.  41 

They  compelU'd  captive  white  men  to  call 
out  iVom  the  woods  to  beg  for  help,  represent- 
ing that  thev  had  been  wounded  and  W(»uld 
die  unless  they  received  assistance. 

Sometimes,  these  pretended  sufierers  played 
their  part  with  great  willingness,  for  there 
were  whites  who,  forswearing  their  own  race, 
lived  among  the  savages  and  rivaled  them 
in  deeds  of  atrocity.  The  most  notorious  of 
these  was  Simon  (iirty,  hut  more  of  him 
hereafter. 

At  the  end  of  the  ten  minutes  named,  the 
craft  had  drifte<l  so  much  nearer  that  Kenton 
was  able  to  see  things  quite  clearly  upon  it. 

At  the  front  of  the  boat  a  person  was 
crouching  behind  the  planking  and  studying 
the  couple  on  the  shore.  An  ordinary  scru- 
tiny wouhl  not  have  revealed  him  to  the  scout, 
and  evidently  he  did  not  suspect  he  was  seen. 

Nevertheleas,  the  countenance  was  plainly 
observable  to  Kenton.  It  was  broatl,  with 
high  cheek  bones,  covered  with  paint,  and 
with  horsehair-like  coverinj;  dan<;linjr  about 
the  shoulders. 

"Do  you  observe  them  boxes  piled  at  tlie 


42  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

front?"  asked  the  ranger  of  his  companion, 
after  his  startling  announcement  that  some- 
thing had  happened  to  the  boat. 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Ashbridge,  striving  to 
control  his  emotion. 

"A  little  to  the  left  of  the  biggest  box, 
near  the  corner  of  the  bow,  a  man  is  stooping 
and  looking  over  the  gunwale  at  us ;  do  you 
observe  him  ?" 

Ashbridge  gazed  intently  for  a  moment. 
"I  do,  but  his  face  is  painted;  he's  not  a 
white  man." 

"  Purcisely ;  he's  an  Injin.  Injins  don't 
generally  come  down  the  Ohio  in  flatboats. 
Your  father  didn't  speak  about  taking  any  of 
'em  aboard  as  passengers,  did  he  ?" 

The  youth  looked  reprovingly  at  the  hunter. 
His  words  sounded  unfeeling  and  out  of  place. 

"I  didn't  mean  to  hurt  your  feelings, 
younker ;  but  if  thar's  one  varmint  on  board 
thar's  more,  which  means  thar  ain't  any  white 
folks." 

"  Then  the  Indians  have  captured  the  flat- 
boat  ?"  repeated  the  terrified  youth. 

''  Thar  can't  be  much  doubt  of  it  from  the 


THE  FLATBOAT.  43 

way  thing's  look.  Its  powerful  rough  on  you, 
but  rouirher  on  the  while  folks  themselves  Its 
too  bad,  and  I'm  sorry  for  you,  hut  it  ain't  the 
fust  time  that  thing  has  happened,  nor  it  won't 
be  the  last." 

Poor  Ashbridge  almost  sank  to  the  ground 
in  the  depth  of  his  anguish.  He  swallowed 
the  lump  in  his  throat,  and  with  a  great  effort 
mastered  his  emotion. 

He  had  set  out  with  high  hopes  and  in 
bounding  spirits  to  meet  his  sister  and  parents, 
anxious,  perhaps,  hut  with  no  thought  of  any 
such  awful  outcome  as  this. 

He  struggled  to  bear  up  under  the  most 
fearful  blow  he  had  ever  received,  not  quite 
ready  to  abandon  all  ho[»e  that  it  might  not 
prove  as  bad  as  it  seemed. 

"  If  they  have  captured  the  boat,"  said  he. 
weakly,  "  why  do  they  remain  on  board  ?  I 
should  think  they  would  plunder  and  aban- 
don it." 

"Timeenougli  to  do  that :  they  can  carry 
out  their  own  notion." 

"  P>ut  look,  Kenton  I"  added  Ashbridge,  ex- 
citedly, "  there's  a  white  man  I" 


44  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

While  they  were  talking,  Kenton's  eyes 
were  upon  his  friend,  who  never  removed  his 
gaze  from  the  craft.  The  elder  now  glanced 
at  it  and  exclaimed  : 

"  Wal,  I'll  be  hanged  !     That's  qu'ar  !" 

The  stern  of  the  craft  was  rooted  over,  as 
has  already  been  described.  The  sweep  pro- 
jected beyond  this  roof  almost  to  the  middle 
of  the  boat,  where  the  one  who  worked  it 
walked  back  and  forth,  and,  when  thus  en- 
gaged, only  the  upper  part  of  his  body  was 
visible. 

AVhile  Ashbridge  was  surveying  the  craft, 
the  figure  of  a  white  man  in  Indian  costume 
rose  to  view,  as  if  coming  up  the  steps  of  a 
cellar.  Leaning  with  one  arm  on  the  sweep, 
he  stared  at  the  couple  on  shore. 

A  thrill  stirred  George  Ashbridge  at  the 
hope  that  this  might  be  his  father,  but  a  second 
glance  showed  the  man  to  be  a  stranger. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  elder  Ash- 
bridge to  bring  several  neighbors  and  their 
families  with  him,  but  if  he  had  done  so  all 
of  them  would  have  been  recognized  by  the 
youth. 


THE  FLATBOAT.  45 

"AMuit  is  the  moaning  of  tliat?"  asked  the 
kitttr,  in  a  low  voice ;  "  tliere  is  one  Indian 
and  one  white  man  on  board." 

"  They  ain't  the  only  ones." 

*'  Is  the  white  man  a  prisoner?" 

"  He  don't  act  that  way  ;  you'd  think  he's 
boss,  from  liis  style." 

"  What  of  that  Indian  that  is  watching  us 
so  closely  ?" 

"  He's  another  boss  ;  I  don't  like  his  looks  ; 
bv  jrracious,  I  know  him !"  added  Kenton, 
lowering  his  voice,  but  showing  more  agitation 
than  was  natural  to  him. 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  Lame  Bear." 

"  And  who  is  Lame  Bear?" 

"  A  Wyandot ;  one  of  the  worst  varmints 
in  the  world.  Do  you  remember  hearing 
about  the  McCutcheon  family,  as  live<l  a  mile 
above  you  on  the  Ohio  shore  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Ashbridge,  with  a  shudder. 
"  Mr.  McCutcheon  wa.s  shot  down  on  his  own 
thre.-hold,  and  his  wife  and  little  child  toma- 
hawked. I  heard  that  the  dreadful  crime  was 
committed  by  a  single  Indian." 


46  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  You  heard  right ;  that  varmint  was  Lame 
Bear.  One  of  his  own  peo^Dle  told  me  he  seed 
him  when  he  come  back  to  his  village  with 
the  scalps  of  the  father,  mother  and  little  boy, 
and  he  bragged  about  what  he  had  done.  He's 
as  bad  as  The  Panther ;  they're  both  cowards, 
and  never  will  fight  squar'.  Younker,  do 
you  observe  how  close  that  white  man  is 
watching  us  ?" 

"  It  is  natural  he  should  do  so." 

"  Have  you  ever  seed  him  afore  ?" 

**  No ;  he's  a  stranger  to  me.  Have  you 
ever  met  him  ?" 

"  Lots  of  times ;  him  and  me  is  old  ac- 
quaintances." 

Ashbridge  was  astonished  to  hear  his  friend 
speak  thus.  He  did  not  understand  what  he 
meant. 

There  was  the  flatboat  that  had  now  drifted 
almost  opposite,  and  was  less  than  one  hun- 
dred yards  away. 

The  white  man,  with  his  arms  still  resting  on 
the  sweep  at  his  side,  continued  watching  the 
two  as  though  they  belonged  to  some  strange 
species  which  he  had  never  seen  before. 


THE  FLATBOAT.  4  t 

Lame  Boar  lu-ld  his  crouching  posture,  l)ut 
knowing  lie  must  have  been  observed  liy  the 
"wliitc  UKii.  nuulr  ni)  particuhir  effort  to  keep 
out  of  sight.  His  broatl,  evil  face  was  nearly 
a  foot  above  the  gunwale. 

Like  most  of  his  people,  he  sported  the 
eagle  feathei*s  in  his  hair,  and  his  counte- 
nance was  hideous  to  the  last  degree,  because 
of  the  horribly  grotesque  manner  in  which  he 
had  laid  on  the  yellow,  black,  red  and  white 
paint. 

Not  only  did  it  show  in  streaks,  but  was  in 
circles  and  crosses,  giving  the  broad  counte- 
nance such  a  frightful  appearance  that  it  sug- 
gested the  front  of  Satan  himself. 

A  fi)ot  or  two  to  the  right  of  this  ap- 
parition protruded  several  inches  of  a  rifle 
barrel. 

That  Lame  Bear  had  the  weapon  in  his 
grasp,  and  was  on  the  alert  to  send  in  a 
treacherous  shot  was  certain.  Kenton  knew 
it,  and,  without  seeming  to  do  so,  held  the 
Wvamlot  continually  under  his  eyes. 

"  I'll  jrive  niv  time  for  a  few  minutes  to 
watching  Lame  Bear,"  said  the  ranger,  in  a 


48  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

voice  so  guarded  that  none  beside  Aslibridge 
could  catch  a  syllable ;  "'  and,  younker,  keep 
your  eye  on  the  rest  of  the  boat ;  the  minute 
you  see  anything  that  don't  look  right,  give 
me  the  tip.  Them  two  folks  aren't  the  only 
ones  thar.  I  think  you'd  better  slip  back 
among  the  trees  and  leave  this  business 
to  me." 

''  No,  sir,"  was  the  emphatic  response ;  "  if 
those  jDCople  have  done  my  folks  harm 
they've  got  to  settle  with  me.  Why  don't 
you  hail  that  white  man  and  make  him  tell 
the  truth  ?" 

"  I'll  do  so  in  a  minute ;  jest  now  I'm  inter- 
ested in  Lame  Bear ;  thar'll  be  music  powerful 
soon." 

George  Aslibridge  was  stirred  by  a  tumult 
of  emotion. 

Distressing  anxiety  for  his  relatives,  de- 
spair, hope,  the  longing  for  revenge,  the  cer- 
tainty that  something  startling  was  at  hand, 
kept  him  in  a  flutter  of  excitement,  and  pre- 
vented anything  like  coolness  and  coherence 
of  thought.  He  could  only  stand  mute  and 
await  events. 


THE  FLATBOAT.  49 

At  the  moment  Lame  Bear  was  directly 
opposite  the  couple  he  brought  his  rifle 
around  and  dropped  so  low  that  only  his 
forehead  and  eyes  showed  above  the  gun- 
wale. 

The  movement  was  lightning-like  in  its 
quickness.  He  meant  to  shoot  ISimon  Kenton 
where  he  stood. 

And  he  would  have  succeeded  in  doing  so 
but  for  one  fact,  the  said  .Simon  Keutou 
divined  his  purpose  and  was  a  little  too 
quick  fur  him. 


60  SHOD  WITH  SILENCK 


CHAPTER   V. 

A   BAKING   UNDERTAKING. 

SIMON  KENTON  knew  the  Wyandot 
was  awaiting  his  chance.  When,  there- 
fore, the  miscreant  dropped  his  head  and 
shoulders,  and  brought  his  rifle  to  a  level 
over  the  gunwale  of  the  flatboat,  the  ranger 
anticipated  him  with  that  marvelous  deftness 
of  movement  which  was  one  of  the  most 
noted  characteristics  of  the  great  scout. 

At  the  moment  the  serpent-like  eye  was 
gleaming  along  the  rifle  barrel,  resting  on  the 
side  of  the  boat,  the  weapon  of  Kenton  sent 
out  its  sharp,  whip-like  crack,  the  bullet 
bored  its  way  through  the  painted  skull  as 
though  it  were  an  eggshell,  and  buried  itself 
in  the  planking  on  the  other  side. 

A  rasping  shriek  split  the  stillness  almost 
at  the  same  instant  as  did  the  report  of  the 
gun. 

Lame  Bear  made  a  convulsive  leap,  rising 


A  DAKINM;  I'NDERTAKIXC!.  51 

SO  high  that  his  tloubkHl-up  h^gs  and  curved 
arms,  one  hand  ehitching  his  riHe,  were  seen 
at  the  same  instant  above  the  gunwale. 

Then,  like  a  gigantic  frog,  the  frightful 
object  sprawk'd  forward  with  outstretched 
limbs,  spUislu'd  on  his  stomach  in  the  water, 
and  sank  to  the  bottom  as  though  the  mouth 
had  gulped  down  half  a  ton  of  lead. 

•'  Well  done,  Sime  !  I  couldn't  have  beat 
that  myself!" 

Strange  exclamation  to  come  from  the 
white  man,  standing  a  couple  of  paces  away, 
with  no  weapon  in  his  hand,  and  who  never 
shifted  his  position  in  the  slightest  degree. 

"Hadn't  much  ch'ice,  Sime,"  called  l)ack 
Kenton.  "  I  knowt-d  what  the  varmint  was 
up  to  and  war  on  the  watch  for  him.  I  let 
him  have  it  atween  the  eyes." 

"  You  did  that,  and  no  mistake,"  remarked 
the  other  Simon,  with  a  grin,  as  though  he 
had  witnessed  a  pleasing  performance.  "  I 
'spose  you  know  the  gentleman's  name." 

*'If  I  ain't  mistook,  he  was  Lame  Bear." 

"The  same;  one  of  the  biggest  of  the 
Wyandots." 


62  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  He  was  the  imp  tliat  skulped  the  Mc- 
Cutcheon  folks,  waru't  he  ?" 

"  Which  the  same  he  war  as  I  know  my- 
self, but  who's  that  chap  you've  got  with 
you,  Sime  ?" 

Kenton  glanced  at  his  companion  as 
though  it  was  the  first  time  he  was  aware  of 
his  presence. 

"  He's  a  friend ;  his  folks  built  the  cabin 
down  the  river  on  this  side ;  he's  looking  for 
'em  that  are  coming  on  a  flatboat;  do  you 
know  anything  about  'em  ?" 

Young  Ashbridge  held  his  breath  while 
awaiting  the  reply. 

"  How  should  I  know  anything  about  'em  ? 
I  don't  know  the  man,  though  I've  obsarved 
his  cabin,  and  thought  of  making  him  a  visit 
one  of  these  days," 

Kenton  took  occasion  to  say  in  an  under- 
tone to  Ashbridge : 

"  I  'spose  you  know  who  he  is  ?" 

"  I  suspected  from  the  way  you  spoke  to 
him  that  he's  Simon  Girty ;  is  it  so  ?" 

"  That's  Girty  as  sure  as  you  live  ?" 

A  chill  ran  through  the  frame  of  young 


A  DARING  UNDERTAKING.  53 

Ashhriilcje  at  kiiowloil<ro  that  he  was  standins: 
lace  to  taee  with  the  tamoii-s  renegade,  who, 
leaving  his  own  people  a  number  of  years 
before,  luul  become  a  leader  among  the  Siiaw- 
anoes  and  other  tribes  iu  their  outrages  upon 
the  white  settlei*s. 

He  was  a  sliort,  stocky  man,  with  sandy 
hair  and  full  licard,  a  keen  eye,  but  with 
nothing  in  liis  appearance  to  show  the  fright- 
ful cruelty  that  fd led  his  breast. 

Asldjridge  niiglit  have  felt  a  keener  interest 
in  him  l)ut  for  his  distress  about  his  own 
friends.  He  had  not  yet  bidden  good-by  to 
hope,  but  felt  that  tlie  next  few  minutes  must 
tell  the  whole  dreadful  storv. 

"  What  are  you  doing  on  that  boat,  8ime  ?'* 
asked  Kenton,  pleasantly. 

"  Xothin'  jest  now,  but  leanin'  on  this  oar." 

**  Are  you  alone  ?" 

"I  warn't  till  you  sent  Lame  Uear  under; 
now  I'm  without  anyone  else;  I  think  I'll 
pull  out,  'cause  this  is  gettin'  lonesome  like." 

"How  come  you  to  git  on  the  llatboat  in 
the  first  j)lace?"  asked  Kenton. 

"Me  and  Lame  Bearwa^i  trampin'  through 


54  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  woods  some  miles  u])  stream,  and  war 
lookin'  for  a  canoe  to  cross  to  tother  side, 
when  what  shoukl  we  see  but  this  boat  tied 
ashore.  We  didn't  know  what  it  meant,  so  we 
nosed  round  till  we  found  there  warn't  any- 
body on  board.  We  thought  it  would  sarve 
us  as  well  as  a  smaller  boat,  and  we  climbed 
onto  it." 

This  amazing  reply  would  have  given  un- 
speakable relief  to  young  Ashbridge,  had  he 
been  able  to  credit  it,  but  he  did  not  believe 
a  word  of  the  statement,  and  it  may  be  added, 
that  Simon  Kenton  held  the  same  view. 

"  But  you  didn't  cross  the  river,"  persisted 
the  ranger,  wdio  showed  no  fear  of  question- 
ing the  terrible  renegade. 

It  may  be  stated  that  after  Simon  Girty 
cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Indians,  he  was  never 
known  to  show  friendship  to  any  member  of 
his  race,  with  the  single  exception  of  Simon 
Kenton. 

This  is  explained  by  the  fact  that,  when 
Girty  left  the  white  people  in  an  inextin- 
guishable rage  because  of  the  cruelty  shown 
him  by  his  commander,  he  carried  with  him 


A  DARING  UNDERTAKING. 


a  spark  of  gratiiiulc  towards  Kenton,  who  had 
always  treated  him  kindly,  and  had  tlone  him 
more  than  one  substantial  favor. 

When  the  unfortunate  Col.  Crawford  was 
defeated,  and  he  became  a  prisoner  to  the 
Shawanoes  and  other  hostile  tribes,  he  was 
tied  to  the  stake  and  tortured  to  death.  Among 
those  present  and  exulting  in  his  sufferings 
was  Simon  Girty. 

As  has  been  stated,  he  was  foremost  in  in- 
numerable outrages  against  his  own  people. 
Once  Simon  Kenton  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Indians  and  was  forced  to  run  the  gauntlet. 

He  would  have  suffered  a  fate  similar  to 
that  of  Col.  Crawford,  except  for  the  interpo- 
sition of  Girty. 

At  the  risk  of  turning  the  red  men  against 
himself,  the  latter  insisted  upon  and  secured 
the  liberation  of  the  dauntless  ranger,  who, 
wliile  he  execrated  the  course  of  his  former 
friend,  would  have  been  an  ingrate  had  he 
not  appreciated  the  favor  done  him. 

This  much  is  neces-sary  to  make  clear  the 
conduct  of  these  two  men  as  affecting  each 
other. 


56  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

They  respectively  gave  their  utmost  servi- 
ces to  directly  opposed  causes,  but,  toward  one 
another  personally  they  were  always  neutral. 

*'  Wal,  that  being  the  case,"  remarked  Ken- 
ton, referring  to  the  gigantic  falsehood  Girty 
had  just  told,  "  we'll  bid  you  good-day.  I  say, 
Sime,"  added  the  scout,  pleasantly,  "  you  and 
me  will  always  be  friends,  I  reckon  ?" 

"  I  don't  see  why  we  shouldn't;  you've  al- 
ways treated  me  white,  but  you're  the  only 
one  of  your  kind  that  has  done  so,  and  I 
won't  forget  it." 

"  The  Ashbridges  never  hurt  you ;  they're 
friends  of  mine,  and  Sime,  if  it  comes  in  your 
way  to  do  'em  a  favor,  why  I'll  take  it  the 
same  as  to  myself." 

"I  won't  make  any  such  promise  as  that," 
was  the  sullen  reply  of  the  renegade ;  *'  and 
you  mustn't  ask  too  often  for  yourself,  Sime; 
don't  get  too  near  the  Injins,  for  it  ain't  likely 
they'll  let  you  go  next  time  even  for  me ;  you 
know  you've  sent  some  of  their  best  warriors 
under  since  then." 

"  I  am  glad  to  say  I  have,"  was  the  proud 
reply  of  Kenton. 


A  DARING  UNDEBTAKING.  •>  I 

"  "Will,  the  rest  know  it,  and  some  of  'em, 
like  The  Pantlier  and  Lame  Uear,  have  heen 
gunning  a  long  time  for  your  topknot;  I  give 
you  notice  for  your  own  sake,  Sime,  for  I  don't 
believe  I  can  do  you  any  good  next  time." 

"  I'm  obliged  ;  good-by,  and  good  luck  to 
you.  I  needn't  tell  you  to  be  as  keerful  as 
myself,  for  a  good  many  of  our  boys  are  gun- 
ning for  you." 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  Girty,  with  an  oath  ; 
"  and  if  they  catch  me,  I  won't  whine,  but 
they  haven't  got  me  yet.  Good-by,  and  the 
same  to  you." 

Kenton  turned  about,  and  ni(;iioned  to  Asli- 
bridge  to  precede  him  in  passing  among  the 
shadow  of  the  trees.  The  scout  could  never 
forget  his  caution. 

He  feared  no  shot  from  the  llatboat,  so  hjiig 
as  Girty  remained  on  board,  but  he  could  not 
feel  certain  of  any  such  immunity  for  his 
companion. 

If  Aslibridge  walked  at  the  lear,  the 
temptation  lor  some  one  to  .shoot  liim  was 
likelv  to  become  irresistil>le.  iSo  Kenton 
shielded  him  with  iiis  own  botly. 


68  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

A  half-dozen  steps  and  the  friends  were 
beyond  sight  of  the  keenest  vision  on  the 
craft.  They  halted  and  looked  in  each  other's 
faces. 

"  You  heard  what  Girty  said  ?"  was  the 
inquiring  remark  of  Kenton. 

"  Y«s,  and  don't  believe  a  word  of  it." 

"  Nor  do  I.  And  yet  he  might  have  said 
something  true,  sort  of  accidental  like." 

*'  I  feel  quite  assured  of  one  thing,"  re- 
marked the  sorrowing  Ashbridge.  "  None 
of  my  folks  are  on  the  flatboat ;  but  where 
are  they  ?" 

"  Younker,  the  cabin  that  you  left  this 
morning  when  you  set  out  to  meet  your  people 
is  about  six  miles  below.  Did  you  walk  along 
the  shore  to  this  place  ?" 

**  Of  course  not !     I  came  in  our  canoe." 

"  Where  is  that  canoe  ?" 

"  Not  one  hundred  yards  from  where  we 
are  standing." 

"  Did  you  draw  it  up  the  bank  so  no  one 
could  see  it  afore  he  stubbed  his  toe  aginst 
it?" 

"  I  could  not  forget  to  take  that  precaution." 


A  DAniNC.  UNDERTAKING.  69 

"i^liow  me  tilt'  way  to  tlmt  Bamo  oraft."' 

xVshbridge  touk  tlu'  Kail  through  the 
bushes  and  undergrowth,  wliich  were  more 
plentiful  here  than  further  inhnui,  and 
quiekly  reaeheil  a  sj>ot  ^Yhere  a  small  hirehen 
strueture,  similar  to  those  in  common  use 
amonjr  the  Indians  in  that  section,  was  drawn 
up  the  hank,  and  rested  where  it  was  invisible 
to  any  one  passing  up  or  down  the  stream. 

It  was  large  enough  to  carry  three  or  four 
persons.  The  ])r<>w  and  stern  curved  upward 
and  over,  with  an  apjiroaeh  to  the  graceful 
arching  of  a  swan's  neck,  and  grotescpie  fig- 
ures were  painted  on  the  smooth  surface  of 
the  hark. 

In  fact,  the  elder  Ashbridge  had  bartered 
for  the  canoe  with  a  party  of  JShawanoes  who 
seemed  to  be  friendly,  so  that  the  boat  was  an 
Indian  one  in  every  respect,  and  showed  a  rude 
ornamentation  that  would  have  been  absent 
had  the  craft  been  put  together  by  while  men. 

It  contained  a  single  tishen  })aildle  which, 
in  the  hands  of  a  person  skilled  in  its  usi', 
would  .send  the  frail  craft  over  the  river  with 
great  swiftness. 


60  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

No  white  man  or  warrior  could  manipulate 
a  canoe  with  greater  cleverness  than  Simon 
Kenton,  who  stood  for  a  moment  admiringly 
contemplating  the  structure. 

"  She's  a  beauty  !"  he  exclaimed  ;  "  as  is  all 
them  things  that  the  Injins  put  together  when 
they  a'int  in  a  hurry." 

"  Father  bought  it  of  a  party  at  the  block- 
house. What  do  you  intend  to  do,  now  that 
it  is  at  your  disposal  ?" 

*'  I'm  going  to  follow  the  flatboat  and  learn 
the  truth." 

"  You  are  not  satisfied  with  what  Girty 
said  ?" 

"  Not  by  a  long  shot ;  there's  a  good  deal 
about  this  business  that  I  don't  understand, 
but  I  shall  understand  afore  to-morrow  at 
sun-up," 

The  scout  moved  to  the  edge  of  the  river, 
parted  the  undergrowth  and  peered  out.  He 
saw  the  flatboat  drifting  down  stream,  some- 
what nearer  the  Kentucky  shore  than  the 
other  bank.  The  renegade  was  still  standing 
near  the  middle,  leaning  on  the  sweep  and 
looking  backward,  with  his  keen  eyes  fixed 


A  DAUINU  I'SDr.RTAKlNii  (51 

on  tlio  sj)ot  where  Konioii  and  Aslil>ri<l<;c  luul 
vanished  Ironi  sight.  Evidtiillv  he  was  sus- 
picious. 

"  Nobody  knows  me  better  than  ►Sime,"  re- 
marked Kenton,  stepping  baek  beside  his 
companion  ;  "  he  speets  I'm  not  through  with 
him  yet." 

It  wuuhl  not  do  to  start  in  pursuit  of  tlie 
flatboat,  for  Girty  would  instantly  read  the 
meaning  of  the  action,  and  take  steps  to  j're- 
vent  the  success  of  whatever  the  ranger  had 
in  mind. 

Nevertheless,  Kenton  shoved  the  graceful 
craft  down  the  slight  slope,  and  let  it  rest  like 
a  bird  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 

lie  motioned  to  Ashbridge  to  take  his  place 
within  it,  and  the  scout  followed  and  took  up 
the  paddle. 

The  overhanging  branches  screened  tlu-ni 
like  a  veil  from  siglit.  By  carefully  parting 
thrni  and  peeping  through  the  interstices  of 
the  vejretation,  the  eve  followed  th<-  move- 
ments  of  the  more  bulky  craft. 

"  Night  will  be  here  in  a  cou|)le  of  hours, 
and  there   ian't   much   moon.     When   Girty 


62  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

drifts  below  that  bend,  we  can  make  a  move, 
but  not  before." 

Slowly  the  flatboat  floated  away,  and  at  the 
end  of  half  an  hour  passed  from  sight  behind 
the  curve  of  the  Ohio.  Then  Simon  Kenton 
silently  dipped  the  paddle  in  the  water,  and 
started  upon  one  of  the  most  stirring  under- 
takings of  his  eventful  life. 


IN  TUE  SHADOWS.  63 


CHAPTER  Vr. 

IX    THE    SHADOWS. 

THE  summer  day  was  drawing  to  a  close 
wlien,  under  the  powerful  impulse  of 
Kenton's  arm,  the  light  eanoe  brushed 
through  the  overhanging  vegetation  and 
emerged  into  the  open  space  of  the  Ohio, 
There,  with  nothing  to  impede  its  flight,  it 
darted  down  stream  with  arrowy  swiftness. 

Young  Ashbridge,  who  Wiis  seated  near  the 
stern,  forgot  for  a  few  minutes  the  delicately 
perilous  errand  on  whii-li  tliey  had  started, 
and  the  oppressive  anguish  for  his  people, 
while  admiring  the  deftness  of  the  ranger. 

(ieorjie  knew  of  his  skill  with  the  rifle  and 
his  remarkable  fleetness,  for  he  had  seen  him 
in  slujoting  matches  and  foot  races  at  the  block- 
house, when  he  surj)a.sseil  all  others,  among 
whom  were  some  of  the  most  famous  on  the 
frontier. 

He  recalled  a  contest  of  skill  of  marksman- 


64  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

ship  between  liim  and  Daniel  Boone,  in  W'hich 
the  former  had  decidedly  the  best  of  it. 

Simon  Kenton  sat  slightly  beyond  in  the 
centre  of  the  canoe,  with  his  rifle  lying 
lengthway  in  front  of  him  in  the  bottom. 
Thus  it  could  be  caught  up  on  an  instant's 
notice. 

He  faced  down  stream,  that  is  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  he  was  going,  and,  as  he  pro- 
ceeded, dipped  the  paddle  first  on  one  side 
and  then  on  the  other. 

There  was  the  slightest  possible  swaying 
of  his  body  while  thus  engaged,  the  movement 
of  his  arms  resembling  the  alternate  or  rather 
following  motion  of  the  piston-rods  on  the 
sides  of  a  locomotive. 

The  attraction  of  the  exhibition  lay  in  the 
absence  of  apparent  effort.  The  ranger  ap- 
peared to  be  toying,  but  never  working.  It 
was  the  idle  dipping  of  the  paddle  to  the 
right  and  then  to  the  left,  as  a  man  thrums 
with  his  fingers  when  in  reverie. 

But  for  a  few  minutes  it  seemed  to  Ash- 
bridge  that  the  delicate  craft  would  dart  from 
under  him. 


IN  TIIF.  SHArw^WS.  65 

The  youth  was  lookin£]j  for  a  siuMon  start, 
but  it  came  so  unexpectedly  tliat  liis  shouhk-rs 
were  thing  back,  and  he  narrowly  avoided 
losing  his  balance. 

Then  the  water  rippled  away  from  the  bow 
and  the  still  air  was  stirred  to  a  breeze  by  the 
skimming  of  the  canoe. 

The  ranger  did  not  cease  his  paddling. 
The  sinewy  arms  swung  back  and  fortli,  and 
from  side  to  side,  with  the  same  easy  grace, 
and  the  canoe  skimmed  like  a  swallow  over  a 
lake;  but  he  turned  his  head  half-way  round, 
showing  his  fine  profile  against  the  darkening 
sky.  There  was  the  suggestion  of  a  smile  at 
tlie  corners  of  his  mouth  as  he  answered  : 

''  If  anybody  should  ask  you  that  question, 
what  would  your  answer  be,  younker  ?" 

"That  I  knew  nothing  about  it." 

"  Purcisely,  and  that's  mine,  but  I'm  going 
to  lind  out  afore  this  night's  over  or  my  name 
isn't  8irae  Kenton.  But  I  say  we're  graderly 
workini'  down  that  wav,  and  I  su;;<rest  we 
stop  sliouting  and  lain  what  our  eyes  and 
ears  '11  toll  us." 

The  prudent  hint  was  obeyed.     Abhbridge 


66  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

sat  tailor  fashion,  with  his  legs  doubled  under 
him,  and  with  both  hands  grasping  the  rifle, 
which  lay  across  his  knees.  He  now  paid 
less  attention  to  his  companion  and  more  to 
their  surroundings. 

The  sun  was  no  longer  in  sight,  and  the 
soft  twilight  was  stealing  over  wood  and 
river. 

The  shadows  seemed  to  reach  clean  across 
the  winding,  beautiful  Ohio,  and  the  hushed 
stillness  was  solemn  almost  to  oppressiveness. 
To  the  right  stretched  the  vast  wilderness  of 
Ohio,  while  on  the  left,  close  enough  to 
reach  with  his  hand,  were  the  almost  illimit- 
able woods  of  the  Dark  and  Bloody  Ground. 

Spinning  forward  at  the  speed  indicated  it 
took  Kenton  but  a  brief  while  to  reach  the 
upper  part  of  the  bend  around  which  the  flat- 
boat  had  disappeared. 

He  seemed  to  know  as  if  by  intuition  the 
precise  point  to  which  it  was  safe  for  him  to 
paddle.  Holding  the  oar  suspended,  he  leaned 
forward  and  allowed  the  craft  to  advance  from 
its  own  momentum. 

At  the  same  time  he  dallied  with  the  water 


IN  Tin:  SHADOWS.  67 

a  moment  later,  so  as  to  turn  the  licatl  of  the 
boat  closer  inlarul,  riiiiniiig  so  near  that  a 
single  quick,  vigorous  movement  would  drive 
it  out  of  siiijht  under  the  overhansing:  vejre- 
tation. 

They  were  already  so  near  that  a  branch 
brushed  the  face  of  Ashbridge.  It  was  as  if  the 
tree  was  reachinsj  out  timidlv  with  its  finircrs 
to  learn,  through  the  sense  of  touch,  who  he 
was. 

Then  the  end  of  the  paddle  seemed  whim- 
sical, fur  it  seemed  retarding  the  motion  of 
the  canoe,  which  went  slower  and  more 
slowly,  while  Kenton  bent  his  shoulders  still 
further  forward. 

"There  she  is,"  he  muttered,  checking  the 
boat  at  the  same  moment  with  sucli  abrupt- 
ness that  Ashbridge's  head  bowed  forward. 

The  canoe  was  stopped  "  on  the  centre,"  as 
may  be  said,  so  that  while  the  ranger  dis- 
cerned the  flatboat,  his  companion  could  see 
nothing  of  it. 

It  was  as  invisible  to  Ashbridge  as  if  miles 
distant,  but  with  onr  sweep  of  the  i»addK'  the 
little  craft  was  driven  underneath  the  limbs. 


68  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

At  the  same  time  Kenton  turned  it  diago- 
nally toward  the  shore. 

This  movement  brought  the  larger  boat 
once  more  into  the  field  of  vision  of  both 
occupants  of  the  canoe.  Carefully  parting 
the  vegetation  in  front,  the  youth  peeped  out 
and  saw  the  other  plainly. 

"  Why,  Kenton,"  said  he,  after  a  minute, 
"  it  doesn't  seem  to  be  moving." 

"She  isn't;  she's  anchored." 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?" 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  think  Girty  is  wait- 
ing for  'em." 

Kenton  meant  that  the  renegade  was  await- 
insf  the  return  of  The  Panther  and  his  com- 
panion.  This  might  and  might  not  be  the 
fact.     The  truth  would  soon  become  known. 

Night  was  closing  in.  Already  the  bulky 
craft  aj^peared  dim  and  ghostly  in  the  gather- 
ino;  shadows.    Soon  it  would  become  invisible. 

"  Don't  speak  above  a  whisper,  and  then 
only  when  you  have  to,"  warned  Kenton,  as 
he  began  working  the  canoe  down  stream, 
keeping  it  under  the  protecting  limbs,  so  as 
to  prevent  detection  from  beyond. 


IN  Tin:  SUA  I  lows,  69 

The  work  was  iiioiv  clilik-ult  than  at  first, 
because  the  interiering  branches  could  nut  be 
readily  detected.  Ashbridge  lowered  his  hea(^ 
to  avoid  them,  and  sometimes  the  progress 
was  so  obstructed  tliat  the  ransxor  was  oblisred 
to  swerve  nearer  the  margin. 

Nevertheless,  he  took  care  not  to  pass  out 
into  the  clear  water,  where  it  would  seem  the 
risk  of  discovery,  because  of  the  increasing 
gloom,  was  slight. 

While  thus  t-ngaged,  Kenton  kept  con- 
tinual watch  of  the  ilatboat,  or  rather  the 
water  intervening  between  it  and  the  Ken- 
tucky slu)re. 

lie  no  longer  hcKl  any  doubt  that  the  rene- 
gade was  awaiting  the  coming  of  one  or  more 
persons,  who  were  lial)le  to  appear  at  anv 
moment. 

When  the  canoe  came  to  a  halt,  it  was  no 
more  than  one  hundred  yards  above  a  point 
opposite  the  flatboat.  This  was  as  far  as  the 
scout  deemed  it  safe  to  sro. 

He  noiselessly  laid  the  i)addle  in  the  boat 
in  front  of  him,  beside  his  long  rille,  gently 
shifting  Lis  own  position  forward,  and,  part- 


70  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

ing  the  slight  veil  of  branches,  fixed  his  keen 
eyes  on  the  flatboat  and  the  river  between  it 
'and  the  bank.  Ashbridge  did  the  same,  and 
thus  they  watched  and  w^aited. 

At  the  moment  the  vigil  began,  the  larger 
craft  was  dimly  outlined  in  the  gloom,  the 
surface  of  the  river  affording  a  clearer  view. 
Both  w^ere  sure  that  no  object,  however  slight, 
could  cross  this  space  without  being  observed. 

Night  was  now  fully  come.  As  the  scout 
had  said,  the  moon  w^ould  not  rise  until  con- 
siderably later,  and  when  it  appeared  would 
show  not  much  more  than  a  crescent,  so  that 
its  light  would  only  slightly  help  or  retard 
matters. 

A  half-hour  passed  without  the  slightest 
occurrence  to  awaken  suspicion  or  to  give  ad- 
ditional knowledge.  That  the  renegade  was 
still  on  the  flatboat  was  certain,  though  he 
had  not  been  seen  since  the  craft  first  swung 
out  of  sight  around  the  bend  in  the  river. 

"  Younker,"  whispered  Kenton,  "I'm  go- 
ing to  leave  you." 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  do  ?"  was  the  won- 
dering question. 


IN  THE  SHADOWS.  71 

**  I'm  gi^iiii;  to  j>;iv  Ciirty  a  visit." 

"But,  is  it  s:it*(\  Kt'iitoii  ?  You  know  he 
warned  you  lie  eould  not  help  you  if  you  got 
into  trouhle  with  the  Indians  ajjain." 

"  T  won't  forgit  what  he  said,"  was  the 
reply.  "  I  calc'late  that  Sime  Kenton  is  ahlo 
to  take  eare  of  liimself." 

"  But  if  we  paddle  out  to  the  boat  we  are 
liable  to  be  seen,  and — " 

"I  ain't  going  to  paddle;  I'm  going  to 
leave  my  gun  with  you  and  swim  to  hii)i." 

Ashbridge  would  have  tried  to  dissuade 
his  eompanion,  but  he  knew  it  wa.s  useless. 
Nor  could  he  presume  to  give  him  advice. 
He,  therefore,  remained  silent. 

Without  another  word  the  ranger  silently 
thrust  one  leg  over  tlie  gunwale,  sank  into 
the  water  until  only  the  t(>[)  of  his  head  was 
visil>le,  and  set  out  on  his  daring  under- 
takiuif. 


72  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A    FRIENDLY    CALL. 

IF  George  Aslibridge  believed  lie  would  be 
left  with  nothing  to  do  but  to  w^ait  for 
the  next  hour  or  two,  he  was  mistaken. 

The  youth  was  sitting  silent  and  motionless 
in  his  canoe,  with  his  eyes  roving  here  and 
there  over  the  dimly  lit  surface  of  the  river, 
and  with  his  ears  on  the  alert,  when  he  noted 
a  ripple  of  the  water  just  above  him,  which 
he  knew  was  made  by  some  person  or  animal. 
If  the  former,  it  must  be  an  enemy ;  if  the 
latter,  it  was  of  small  moment. 

Kenton  had  not  given  him  a  word  of  in- 
struction before  leaving.  He  must  have  be- 
lieved it  unnecessary. 

The  youth  ought  to  know  enough  to  do  the 
right  thing  whatever  contingency  arose. 

Hardly  had  the  suspicious  sound  fallen  on 
his  ear  when  an  Indian  canoe,  similar  to  the 


A  FRIENDLY  CALL.  73 

one  in  which  he  was  Pcatcil,  glided  slowly 
down  the  river,  just  on  the  outer  rim  of 
vegetation,  and  within  six  feet  of  the  prow  of 
the  boat. 

Within  the  other  craft  were  seated  three 
warriors,  the  middle  of  whom  was  using  a 
paddle,  while  his  companions  sat  as  motion- 
less as  so  many  wooden  images. 

The  natural  conclusion  of  Ashbridge  was 
that  these  were  the  Indians  for  whom  Girty 
was  waiting. 

It  had  Ix^en  the  purpose  of  Kenton  to  watch 
at  a  point  above  where  the  party  would  pad- 
dle out  to  the  larger  craft,  but,  unconsciously, 
he  had  gone  below.  Had  the  bucks  been  on 
the  watch,  assuredly  they  would  have  dis- 
covered the  two  whites,  but,  as  it  was,  that 
was  improbable. 

As  if  no  trial  of  the  youth's  nerves  was  to 
be  withheld,  the  Indian  boat  came  to  a  halt 
directly  opposite  him. 

SomethiniT  vajrue  and  shadowv  j]rlided  into 
sight  from  the  gloom  of  tlie  shore  below  him, 
and  moved  toward  the  larger  craft. 

The  watcher  did   not   need   to   see  clearly 


74  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

to  identify  it  as  the  canoe  and  its  occupants. 
Doubtless  they  were  the  people  for  whom  the 
renegade  was  waiting  and  watching. 

The  canoe  moved  with  moderate,  regular 
pace  until  at  the  side  of  the  craft  at  anchor, 
when  it  was  absorbed  in  the  gloom  which  en- 
closed that. 

The  stillness  was  so  profound  that  Ash- 
bridge  plainly  heard  the  splash  of  water  and 
slight  bump  of  the  smaller  against  the  larger 
boat. 

He  caught,  too,  an  expression  made  by  one 
of  the  Indians,  after  which  profound  stillness, 
as  before,  held  reign. 

Meanwhile,  Simon  Kenton  precipitated  him- 
self into  an  interesting  condition  of  affairs. 

Following  out  his  resolve  to  penetrate  the 
mystery  of  the  motionless  flatboat  and  its 
occupant  or  occupants,  he  swam  out  into 
the  river  until  at  a  point  directly  above  the 
craft. 

He  did  this  without  decreasing  the  dis- 
tance between  him  and  it.  Then  he  went 
some  way  beyond,  believing  that  Girty,  if 
still  on  board,  would  keep  closer  watch  of  the 


A  FRIKNOLY  CALL.  75 

southern  than  of  the  northern  sliore,  inas- 
much as  the  former  was  the  one  from  which 
be  expected  to  receive  visitors. 

It  was  unsafe,  liowever,  to  count  upon  an 
a]iproacli  to  the  l)oat  without  detection  un- 
less it  coiiM  be  managed  witli  extraordinary 
skill. 

Ihit  Kenton  regarded  the  present  occasion 
as  warranting  the  taking  of  chances.  lie 
meant  to  board  the  tlatboat  or  approach  it 
nigh  enough  to  discover  the  truth. 

His  plan  of  procedure  was  to  swim  as  close 
as  he  dared  or  to  the  verge  of  discovery,  as  it 
may  be  called,  and  then,  dropping  below  the 
surface,  come  up  so  close  to  the  stern  that  he 
was  not  likely  to  be  noticed  unless  he  awoke 
suspicion  by  some  noise. 

Precisely  where  lay  the  "  danger  line  "  was 
the  delicate  question  to  settle.  Every  foot  of 
api>roach  to  the  boat  was  vast  advantage  to 
the  scout,  lor  it  lessened  the  (lilliculty  of 
his  task,  but  if  he  went  too  close  and  was 
detected,  his  whole  scheme  would  be  over- 
turned. 

He    was  swimming  slowly,   and    with   the 


76  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

utmost  caution,  when   his  eyes  and  his  sense 
of  smell  disclosed  two  facts. 

He  saw  the  figure  of  Simon  Girty,  not  in 
the  former  position,  but  seated  on  the  roof  of 
the  cabin,  as  it  may  be  called,  close  to  the 
stern,  and  with  one  arm  bent  over  the  sweep 
where  the  latter  swung  on  a  pivot. 

That  he  was  smoking  was  proven  not  only 
by  the  tiny,  glowing  speck  which  occasionally 
appeared  when  he  removed  the  pipe  from  his 
mouth,  but  by  the  pungent  odor  of  tobacco 
that  tainted  the  air. 

Had  the  scout  felt  certain  that  his  former 
friend  was  the  only  one  on  the  boat,  he  would 
have  pronounced  his  name  and  swam  directly 
to  him  ;  but  he  believed  several  Indians  were 
with  him,  and  it  was  this  fact  which  caused 
all  the  trouble. 

If  the  renegade  observed  him  he  would  not 
hesitate  to  fire.  If  Kenton  pronounced  his 
own  name,  the  hostiles  were  sure  to  hear  him, 
and  it  would  instantly  become  a  struggle  for 
life,  with  no  possibility  of  his  gaining  the  first 
advantage. 

His  problem,  therefore,  was  to  approach  so 


A   FIJIKNDLY  CAM.  77 

near  Girty  -svitliout  dotootioii  that  lie  could 
make  liiiiiselt'  known  wiiliuut  discovery  by 
any  one  else  on  board. 

Inch  by  inch  the  ranger  drifted  down 
stream,  his  gaze  fixed  on  the  head  and 
shoulders  of  the  man  lolling  on  the  deck  of 
the  cabin  and  smoking  his  pipe. 

The  fact  that  now  and  then  the  scout  saw 
the  glowing  ember  within  the  bowl  showed 
that  Girty's  face  was  toward  him.  Had  it 
been  turned  the  other  way  hardly  any  diflli- 
cultv  would  have  confronted  the  ranirer. 

As  it  was,  he  meditated  keeping  beyond 
the  liability  of  detection,  and  swimming  to  the 
boat  from  the  other  direction,  but  he  feared 
that  .some  of  the  hostiles  were  on  jruard  there. 
It  would  not  do  to  be  seen  by  them  ;  he  must 
make  his  first  advance  to  the  renegade  himself. 

Carefully  measuring  the  distance  with  his 
eye,  the  ranger  sank  below  the  surface,  and 
swam  straight  for  the  stern  of  the  flatboat. 

He  did  his  work  .so  unerringly,  that  when 
his  cap  parted  the  water  and  he  came  uj*,  his 
nose  gently  touched  the  side  of  the  craft ;  he 
had  hit  it  to  the  iuch ! 


78  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Sh !  helloa,  Girty  !" 

The  renegade,  sitting  in  reverie  and  slowly 
puffing  his  pipe,  was  so  startled  by  hearing 
his  name  pronounced  in  a  guarded  voice,  that 
he  sprang  up  as  though  a  needle  point  had 
been  thrust  in  him. 

"  Who's  that?"  he  asked  in  a  hoarse  under- 
tone, staring  around  in  the  gloom,  uncertain 
of  the  point  whence  the  hail  came. 

"  It's  me,  Kenton  ;  don't  make  any  noise !" 

At  the  same  moment,  grasping  the  gunwale 
with  both  hands,  the  ranger  drew  his  head 
and  shoulders  into  view  of  the  frightened 
Girty.  The  latter  stared  down  at  his  old 
acquaintance,  and  asked  with  an  execration 
of  amazement : 

"  Where  the  mischief  did  you  come  from  ?" 

"  Tell  me,  honest  now,  Sime,  how  many  of 
'em  are  on  board?" 

Kenton  held  himself  half  over  the  gunwale, 
looking  up  with  smiling  face  at  the  renegade, 
and  ready  to  sink  back  into  the  water,  should 
it  become  necessary. 

"  I'm  alone,"  was  the  unexpected  reply. 

"That  suits  me;  I  want  to  see  you,"  and 


A  FKIKNDLT  CALL.  7l> 

witlioiit  further  Iiesitation  the  ranger  raised 
his  dripping  tbrni  over  the  gunwale  and  sat 
down  beside  his  astonished  aoquaintanee, 
who,  looking  curiously  at  him,  asked  : 

"What's  the  meaning  of  this,  Kenton? 
You've  done  a  powerful  risky  thing." 

"  Why  so,  if  you're  the  only  one  on  board 
beside  me?" 

"But  thar'U  be  others  in  a  few  minutes; 
they're  late  now ;  they're  likely  to  come  at 
any  time." 

The  renegade  turned  his  head,  looked 
toward  the  Kentucky  shore,  and  raised  his 
hand  warningly. 

"Sh!  I  think  I  heard  their  paddles." 

**  No,  you  didn't,"  coolly  remarked  hh 
visitor,  "  for  if  you  heard  'em  so  would  I, 
and  I  di(hi't." 

"  Mebbe  not,  l)ut  you'll  hear  'em  purty 
soon." 

"  Sime,"  said  Kenton,  who  appreciated  the 
value  of  the  moments,  and  spoke  with  deep 
seriousness,  "  no  matter  how  other  folks  may 
look  on  you,  you'll  admit  I  always  used  vou 
equar'.     So  you  did  me,  when  the  Shawanoes 


80  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

meant  to  make  a  torchlight  of  me.  I'm  not 
fool  enough  to  put  myself  into  their  hands 
ag'in  with  the  idea  that  you  kin  pull  me  out." 

"No,  for  I  couldn't,"  said  Girty,  smoking 
hard  at  his  pipe,  which  had  well  nigh  gone 
out  during  the  interruption. 

"  I  won't  ask  you,  if  I  ever  slip  again,  but 
I  want  you  to  do  me  a  favor  now." 

''  What  is  it  ?" 

"  Tell  me  what  all  this  means." 

"  What  what  means  ?" 

"  You,  The  Panther,  and  some  of  his  war- 
riors took  this  flatboat  from  a  party  of  settlers 
that  were  coming  down  the  Ohio  on  it." 

"  Of  course,"  was  the  indifferent  response ; 
"  how  else  would  we  git  it  ?" 

"  How  many  whites  were  on  the  boat  ?" 

"  Four,  an  old  man,  a  younger  man,  his 
wife  and  a  little  girl." 

The  heart  of  Kenton  sank. 

"  Do  you  know  their  names — that  is,  who 
they  were  ?" 

"Never  seen  'em  before." 

"  Were  they  the  Ashbridges  ?" 

"I  don't  know,   'cause  I  never  was  nigh 


A  FRIENDLY  CALL.  81 

enough  to  tliat  family  to  know  'em,  except 
the  younker  that  was  with  you — Sime,  yuii 
must  get  out  I"  whispered  the  renegade,  ex- 
citedly;  "they're  coming  now,  sure  !" 

Kenton  liad  caught  the  dip  of  the  paddle. 
He  knew  it  was  no  mistake  this  time.  The 
Indians  were  at  hand. 

"  All  right;  good  by,"  he  whispered,  drop- 
ping n(j  hint  of  the  resolution  which  he 
formed  while  the  words  were  in  his  mouth, 
and  which  he  dared  not  make  known  to 
Girty,  in  whose  friendship  he  reposed  great 
trust,  desjnte  what  he  had  said  a  brief  while 
before. 


82  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    DISAPPEARANCE. 

SIMON  KENTON  had  caught  the  faint 
dip  of  the  paddle,  for  though  the  red 
men  could  propel  a  canoe  with  the  same  noise- 
lessness  as  himself,  they  evidently  made  no 
effort  to  do  so  in  the  present  instance,  since 
the  necessity  did  not  exist. 

The  ranger  had  not  learned  one-half  he 
set  out  to  learn.  He  meant  to.  draw  from  the 
renegade  the  meaning  of  the  singular  visit  of 
The  Panther  and  his  companions  to  shore, 
leaving  only  Girty  and  Lame  Bear  in  charge 
of  the  flatboat  for  several  hours,  besides  ac- 
quiring the  particulars  of  the  sad  fate  of  the 
four  persons  in  charge  of  the  flatboat.  Doubt- 
less, he  would  have  gathered  all  the  knowl- 
edge he  sought,  had  the  opportunity  been 
given  him,  but  the  sudden  a^jpearance  of  the 


A  DISAPPEARANCE.  «3 

Sliawanoes  sliiit  oil*  investigation  in  that  di- 
rection. 

A\'ith  tlie  parting  words  given,  the  ranger 
k'l  himself  over  the  stern  of  the  boat,  at  tlie 
same  point  where  he  had  climbed  upon  it,  and 
sank  into  the  water  as  noiselessly  as  a  feather. 

Since  the  warriors  were  coming  from  the 
Kentucky  shore,  the  renegade,  who  was 
watching  the  actions  of  his  former  friend, 
understood  why  he  headed  toward  the  Ohio 
bank  with  a  vigor  which  quickly  carried  him 
bevond  sifijht. 

Kenton  swam  with  a  straight,  even  stroke 
until  he  hail  reached  a  certain  point,  when  he 
turned  his  head  and  looked  back. 

He  could  see  the  flatboat,  but  was  unable 
to  discern  the  figure  of  Girty  at  the  stern. 
That  was  proof  that  the  renegade  could  no 
longer  detect  him. 

Then  Kenton  ceased  swimming  and  floated 
witli  the  current,  which  was  faster  near  the 
middle  of  tlie  river.  He  did  this  until  below 
the  bow  of  the  flatboat,  when  he  headed  for 
the  craft. 

This  course,  as  will  be  perceived,  interposed 


84  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

tlie  boat  between  him  and  Girty  at  the  stern, 
and  enabled  Kenton  to  swim  with  his  head 
above  the  surface  for  the  whole  distance  with- 
out detection,  inasmuch  as  the  closer  he  ap- 
jDroached  the  craft  the  more  completely  did 
it  answer  as  a  screen. 

The  task  set  out  for  himself  would  have 
been  of  the  simplest  nature  conceivable  had 
the  canoe  and  its  occupants  been  eliminated. 
It  was  necessary  to  keep  track  of  their  move- 
ments, for  they  must  be  near  at  hand. 

The  ranger  was  puzzled  at  not  seeing  any- 
thing of  The  Panther  and  his  companions. 

His  own  position  in  the  water,  below  the 
bow  of  the  flatboat,  gave  him  a  view  that 
commanded  all  the  approaches  except  at  the 
stern,  such  as  he  had  made,  and  it  was  not 
to  be  supposed  the  Indians  would  draw  nigh 
at  that  point. 

"  I  heard  their  paddles,"  he  reflected,  "but 
it  must  have  been  some  carelessness  on  their 
part.  I  guess  they  were  paddling  close  in 
shore." 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  in  this  suppo- 
sition the  scout  was  correct. 


A  DISAPPEARANCE.  85 

The  discovery  was  disappointing,  for  it 
proved  lie  might  have  stayed  with  Girty 
longer,  and  drawn  more  information  from  him. 

But  it  could  not  be  helped,  and  it  would 
never  do  to  return  to  the  boat,  as  for  an  in- 
stant he  meditated  doing;. 

"  I'm  in  no  hurry  to  go  back  to  that  youn- 
ker,"  he  reflected,  "  with  the  news  that  I'll 
have  to  take  him — Helloa !" 

The  canoe  with  its  three  occupants  assumed 
form  in  the  gloom,  approaching  the  flatboat 
from  the  direction  of  the  Kentucky  shore. 
The  watcher  was  certain  that  one  of  the  three 
was  The  Panther. 

With  an  almost  imperceptible  motion  Ken- 
ton worked  his  way  to  the  craft,  striving  to 
use  it  as  a  screen  against  the  Shawanoes,  as  he 
had  done  against  Girty.  The  smaller  craft 
favored  this  purpose  by  drawing  near  the 
stern.  By  and  by,  the  projecting  bow  shut  it 
from  sight. 

Then  it  was  that  the  ranger  put  forth  all 
his  power  and  skill,  and  went  through  the 
water  as  though  it  was  his  native  element. 

He  did  not  remove  his  eyes  from  the  cum- 


86  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

bersome  craft,  for  he  was  going  into  great  dan- 
ger, and  the  situation  became  more  critical 
with  every  swing  of  his  powerful  arms. 

He  was  within  a  dozen  feet  of  the  bow 
when,  to  his  dismay,  the  figure  of  an  Indian 
warrior  rose  to  his  feet,  as  through  projected 
upward  from  a  spring-board.  There  was  less 
than  twenty  feet  between  the  man  in  the 
water  and  the  one  standing  at  the  front  of  the 
flatboat. 

It  was  an  alarming  position  for  the  ranger, 
for  if  the  Indian  happened  to  look  in  his 
direction  he  could  not  fail  to  discover  him. 
Fortunately,  at  the  moment  he  rose  so  unex- 
pectedly to  sight  his  side  was  turned  toward 
the  ranger,  and  he  was  looking  at  the  shore, 
from  which  he  and  his  companions  had  come 
a  short  time  before. 

In  the  gloom  it  was  impossible  to  identify 
the  profile  of  the  man,  but,  with  a  singular 
emotion,  Kenton  decided  him  to  be  no  other 
than  his  old  enemy,  Wa-on-mon,  The  Pan- 
ther. 

"  Wouldn't  he  like  to  catch  me  here?"  re- 
flected the  intrepid  scout,  who,  fearful  of  run- 


A  DISAPPEARANCE.  87 

ning  further  risk,  for  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  the  fellow  would  scan  all  the  river  in 
his  j&eld  of  vision,  again  sank  under  the  sur- 
face, aiming  not  to  come  up  until  too  close  to 
be  seen. 

The  distance  he  was  obliged  to  swim  was 
less  than  in  the  former  instance,  but,  curiously 
enough,  Kenton  made  a  miscalculation  this 
time. 

AVhen  he  supposed  he  was  at  the  right 
point,  and  gently  ascended  the  few  inches 
necessary,  he  was  really  under  the  boat.  In- 
stead of  reaching  the  clear,  pure  air,  he  struck 
the  planks  of  the  bottom. 

But  the  softness  of  his  cap  and  the  gentle- 
ness of  the  impact  prevented  any  suspicious 
jar,  although  The  Panther  was  standing  al- 
most directly  over  his  head. 

Kenton  knew  the  nature  of  the  mistake, 
and,  with  the  same  marvellous  coolness  which 
seemed  never  to  desert  him,  he  swam  until 
clear  of  the  craft,  coming  up  immediately 
under  the  bow. 

This  being  of  a  sloping  form,  effectually 
shut  him   from   sight,  unless  the  Shawanoe 


88  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

indulged  in  a  whim  to  lean  forward  and 
peer  over  the  shelving  planking — a  thing  he 
was  not  likely  to  do  unless  his  suspicion  was 
aroused. 

The  object  of  the  ranger  in  this  dangerous 
business  was  to  overhear  some  of  the  conver- 
sation on  board. 

He  understood  the  Shawanoe  tongue  as  well 
as  his  own,  and  his  hope  was  that  the  infor- 
mation not  obtained  from  Girty  would  thus 
be  obtainable. 

Circumstances,  to  some  extent,  favored  the 
scout,  who,  from  his  curious  hiding  place,  did 
not  lose  a  word  of  what  was  uttered. 

The  first  information  was  given  by  The 
Panther,  who  told  of  the  encounter  in  the 
wood  during  the  afternoon,  when  one  of  their 
number  fell  before  the  deadly  rifle  of  the 
great  scout  and  pioneer,  Simon  Kenton. 

The  chief  pronounced  his  name,  so  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  his  recognition  of  his 
old  enemy. 

His  version  of  the  affair,  in  which  he  was 
indorsed  by  his  companion,  differed  from  the 
truth,  in  that  he  made  the  number  of  contest- 


A  DISAPPEARANCE.  89 

ants  twice  his  own  instead  of  only  two,  one  of 
whom  did  not  appear  until  after  the  encounter 
was  virtually  over. 

Kenton  smiled,  but  cared  nothing  for  that. 
It  was  characteristic  of  the  American  race  to 
indulge  in  exaggeration.  His  own  people 
were  not  guiltless  of  the  same  fault. 

Then  Girty  had  to  explain  the  cause  of  the 
vanishment  of  his  companion  on  board  the 
flatboat. 

He  stuck  partly  to  the  truth,  inasmuch  as 
there  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  falsifying 
further  than  to  represent  Kenton  as  keeping 
himself  so  well  sheltered  on  the  bank  that 
neither  renegade  nor  Lame  Bear  could  secure 
a  shot  at  him. 

This  information  was  already  possessed  by 
the  listener.  He  wanted  more,  and  it  was  not 
long  in  coming. 

Girty  sauntered  to  the  side  of  The  Pan- 
ther, and  held  a  short  conversation  in  the 
Shawanoe  tongue,  which  may  be  liberally 
translated : 

"  We  have  lost  two  of  our  bravest  warriors? 
we  have  three  left.     What  is  the  will  of  the 


90  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

great  chief,  The  Panther,  whose  name  makes 
the  palefaces  tremble?" 

"  It  is  the  will  of  Wa-on-mon  that  we  wait 
here  until  another  boat  comes  down  the  river ; 
though  there  be  a  hundred  palefaces  on  it, 
we  will  take  their  scalps,  as  we  did  those  of 
the  other ;  then  we  will  burn  the  boats  and 
hang  the  scalps  of  the  palefaces  to  the  ridge- 
poles of  our  wigwam." 

There  was  the  interesting  program  laid 
out  by  the  generalissimo  of  the  hostile  forces. 

They  had  captured  this  craft  by  some 
means  unknown  to  Kenton,  and  meant  to  use 
it  to  secure  another.  Doubtless  they  intended 
to  use  deception  and  treachery,  the  favorite 
means  of  their  people. 

The  reader  will  perceive  the  fearful  advan- 
tage in  the  hands  of  The  Panther,  because  of 
the  presence  and  fullest  support  of  the  rene- 
gade. 

Hardly  one  person  in  a  hundred  of  those 
who  descended  the  Ohio  knew  Girty  by 
sight,  though  the  terror  of  his  name  had 
penetrated  even  to  the  settlements  in  western 
Virginia. 


A  DISAPPEARANCE.  91 

"With  him  standing  at  the  stern,  or  any- 
where on  the  flatboat,  the  Indians  keeping 
carefully  out  of  sight,  he  would  naturally  be 
taken  for  a  friendly  white  man,  whose  story 
of  sickness  or  misfortune  would  awaken  sym- 
pathy and  draw  the  unsuspicious  pioneers  to 
his  side. 

Thus  the  flies  would  walk  unsuspectingly 
into  the  spider's  web. 

Simon  Kenton  read  the  whole  scheme,  and 
quietly  decided  that  he  would  have  something 
to  do  with  the  issue  of  the  enterprise. 

He  felt  the  boat  begin  to  move.  Not  wish- 
ing to  keep  it  company,  since  there  was  noth- 
ing more  to  be  learned,  he  swam  gently  away 
from  the  front,  keeping  close  to  the  craft  as  it 
swept  past. 

He  took  care  to  take  the  side  opposite  to 
that  where  the  canoe  was  moored,  since  other- 
wise matters  might  have  been  complicated. 
As  it  was,  when  he  had  the  least  thought  of 
danger,  he  came  the  nighest  to  a  fatal  mishap. 

The  scout  was  hardly  swimming.  He  held 
himself  stationary  against  the  current,  while 
waiting  for  the  flatboat  to  drift  past. 


92  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  heavy  planking  swept  slowly  along, 
within  a  few  inches  of  his  face,  and  he  had 
nearly  reached  the  stern  when  a  projecting 
splinter  or  bit  of  wood  pressed  so  sharply 
against  his  neck  that  he  made  a  sudden 
plunge  to  escape  it. 

The  splash  was  heard  on  board  the  boat, 
and  The  Panther  himself  leaned  over  to  learn 
its  meaning.  Had  Kenton  kept  his  head 
above  the  surface  or  risen  on  the  same  side  of 
the  boat,  nothing  could  have  averted  discov- 
ery, but  the  instant  he  dropped  below  he 
comprehended  his  error,  and  swam  beneath 
the  craft  to  the  other  side  before  he  came  up. 

The  scout's  peerless  woodcraft  enabled  him 
to  locate  the  exact  spot  where  he  had  left  the 
canoe  which  contained  his  rifle  and  his  friend. 
He  swam  through  and  beneath  the  under- 
growth at  the  precise  spot  where  he  left  it. 

"Helloa,  younker,  is  it  all  right  with 
you?"  he  asked,  cheerily. 


A  JOYFUL  DISCOVEEY.  93 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A    JOY^FUL    DISCOVEEY. 

WHEN  George  Ashbridge  was  left  alone 
in  the  Indian  canoe,  under  the  over- 
hanging bushes  on  the  Kentucky  shore,  he 
did  not  dream  of  leaving  the  spot  before  the 
return  of  Simon  Kenton. 

We  have  told  how  motionless  and  quiet  he 
sat,  while  the  boat  containing  The  Panther 
and  his  companions  paddled  past  within  a 
half  dozen  feet.  There  was  a  minute  or  two 
when  he  was  certain  of  an  attack  from  them, 
and  held  himself  ready  to  use  the  two  weapons 
within  his  grasp,  but  they  had  no  suspicion 
of  his  proximity,  and  went  by  without  offer- 
ing the  least  molestation. 

To  a  man  in  the  situation  of  young  Ash- 
bridge the  time  moves  slowly.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  a  full  hour  had  elapsed  since  the 
ranger's  departure. 

He   grew   tired  of   peering   out    into    the 


94  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

gloom  without  discovering  anything,  and 
more  for  relief  than  with  the  expectation  of 
learning  anything,  he  turned  his  attention 
up  stream. 

As  he  did  so  his  heart  gave  a  quick  throb, 
for  a  startling  sight  greeted  his  vision.  A 
bright  point  of  light  showed  just  above  the 
surface  of  the  river,  and  apparently  near  the 
middle  of  the  current. 

It  glowed  steadily  for  a  full  minute  and 
then  vanished.  How  long  it  was  visible  be- 
fore, the  youth  had  no  means  of  knowing; 
but,  as  may  be  supposed,  he  was  dumbfounded 
for  the  time. 

He  listened  and  watched  for  several  min- 
utes. Once  he  fancied  he  heard  some  one 
speak,  then  there  was  a  splash  as  though 
something  had  dropped  in  the  water,  and  then 
the  silence  was  as  profound  as  that  of  the  tomb. 

"  I  am  sure  they  are  friends,"  was  his  con- 
clusion, "  and  I  intend  to  find  out  what  it 
means.  I  can  paddle  there  in  a  few  minutes, 
and  will  be  back  before  Kenton  returns.  I 
shall  have  news  for  him." 

The  youth  acted  on  this  theory,  and,  push- 


A  JOYFUL  DISCO VEEY.  95 

ing  the  canoe  clear  of  the  overhanging  vege- 
tation, began  paddling  toward  the  point  where 
the  extraordinary  light  had  shown  itself. 

Though  he  started  with  high  confidence,  it 
must  be  admitted  that  with  every  stroke  of 
the  paddle  his  misgiving  increased. 

What  disturbed  him  as  much  as  anything 
else  was  the  knowledge  that  he  was  taking 
Kenton's  rifle  with  him.  He  knew  it  was  the 
hunter's  favorite  weapon,  and  its  loss  would 
leave  him  in  a  sad  plight. 

That  which  Ashbridge  had  set  out  to  do 
might  bring  the  most  disastrous  consequences 
not  only  to  himself,  but  to  Kenton. 

He  propelled  the  boat  slowly  and  with  the 
utmost  caution.  It  is  a  question  whether  the 
listening  Shawanoe  or  Wyandot,  one  hundred 
paces  away,  would  have  detected  his  move- 
ment through  the  sense  of  hearing. 

By  and  by  it  seemed  to  the  wondering 
Ashbridge  that  the  gloom  in  front  was  grad- 
ually assuming  some  kind  of  form.  The 
darkness  appeared  to  be  settling  upon  itself, 
as  may  be  said,  until  something  definite  could 
be  traced  by  the  eye. 


96  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

With  another  thrill  of  amazement,  he  re- 
cognized the  outlines  of  a  flatboat,  such  as  he 
had  seen  drift  down  stream  hours  before. 

A  little  further  advance,  and  all  doubt  was 
removed.  It  was  one  of  those  awkward, 
bulky  craft  lying  at  anchor,  just  as  was  the 
boat  to  which  Kenton  had  given  his  atten- 
tion. 

Without  hesitation,  Ashbridge  dipped  his 
paddle  deep  in  the  water  and  drove  the  canoe 
swiftly  toward  the  motionless  flatboat.  As 
the  little  craft  skimmed  over  the  water,  some 
one  on  the  watch  called  out  in  a  cautious 
voice : 

"  Who  are  you  ?" 

George  Ashbridge  came  near  dropping  the 
paddle. 

"  Heavens !  Can  it  be  ?"  he  gasped,  and 
the  next  moment  bounded  over  the  low  gun- 
wale. 

"Oh,  father,  is  that  you?"  he  exclaimed, 
rushing  into  his  arms. 

"Why,  my  son,  what  excites  you?"  asked 
the  parent,  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  emo- 
tion of  his  sturdy  offspring. 


A  JOYFUL  DISCOVERY.  97 

**An'  mother  and  Mabel,  are  you  all 
here?"  asked  the  trembling,  agitated  youth, 
raising  his  head  from  the  shoulder  of  his 
parent,  and  looking  into  the  wondering  joy- 
ous faces  gathered  around  him  in  the  gloom. 

"  I  thought  you  had  all  been  killed  by  the 
Indians,"  he  added,  growing  faint  again,  but 
quickly  rallying.  "  Oh,  how  grateful  I  am, 
mother  and  Mabel,"  he  repeated,  taking  each 
in  turn  in  his  arms.  "  God  be  praised  !  It 
seems  like  a  dream,  too  blissful  to  be  true." 

"  What  gives  you  such  fear  ?"  asked  the 
surprised  father,  wondering  why  his  brave  boy 
was  so  stirred.  "  I  am  not  accustomed  to  seeing 
you  thus." 

"  I  left  Simon  Kenton  a  little  while  ago,  and 
what  he  and  I  learned  made  us  believe  you 
had  all  been  slain  by  the  Indians ;  but  you 
have  friends  with  you." 

For  the  first  time,  the  delighted  youth  no- 
ticed that  others  were  on  the  boat.  They  had 
stood  a  little  back  dui'ino;  the  touchino^  meet- 
ing  between  him  and  his  relatives. 

Now  they  came  forward ;  first  a  lusty  man, 
in  the  prime  of  life,  Mr.  Thomas   Altman, 

7 


98  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

an  old  neighbor  of  the  Ashbriclges.  He 
shook  the  hand  of  the  youth  heartily,  and 
expressed  his  pleasure  at  meeting  him. 

Then  his  kind-hearted  wife  bestowed  a  mo- 
therly kiss  upon  the  boy  that  had  always  been 
a  favorite  of  hers  from  his  infancy. 

Next,  a  section  of  the  night  seemed  to  ad- 
vance from  the  other  side  of  the  flatboat.  This 
was  Jethro  Juggens,  a  burly  negro  lad,  the 
servant  of  the  Altmans. 

He  was  a  year  younger  than  George  Ash- 
bridge,  but,  heavier,  larger,  and  awkward  of 
movement.  He  was  good  natured,  with  a  pro- 
digious appetite,  enormous  strength,  and  an 
affectionate  nature  that  stopped  at  no  sacrifice 
for  his  friends. 

He  was  deeply  attached  to  young  Ash- 
bridge,  whose  playmate  he  had  been  before 
the  youth  left  with  his  father  to  build  a  home 
in  the  West. 

Had  there  been  a  little  more  light  on  the 
flatboat,  his  immense  mouth  would  have  been 
seen  stretched  to  the  widest  possible  grin,  as 
he  shuffled  forward  and  took  the  hand  of  his 
old  friend. 


A  JOYFUL  DISCOVERY.  99 

*'  Our  cabin  is  only  a  few  miles  down  the 
river ;  but,  father,  how  is  it  that  you  have  an- 
chored for  the  night  ?" 

"  I  intended  to  keep  on  until  we  reached 
the  clearing,  but  they  told  us  at  the  block- 
house there  was  trouble  again  with  the  In- 
dians. They  urged  us  to  stay  with  them  till 
it  was  over,  but  I  knew  you  were  expecting 
us,  and  I  have  heard  so  many  false  alarms, 
that  I  decided  to  go  ahead.  After  talking 
with  Mr.  Altman,  we  concluded  it  would  be 
best  to  anchor  till  morning,  so  as  to  arrive 
at  the  clearing  by  daylight ;  but,  George, 
you  have  greeted  all  of  your  friends  exce23t 
one." 

True,  there  was  one  member  of  the  little 
party  who,  when  the  others  crowded  forward 
to  take  the  hand  of  young  Ashbridge,  mod- 
estly held  back,  keeping  in  the  rear  of  the 
others,  and  holding  her  lips  so  mute  that  the 
youth  had  not  seemed  to  see  her. 

But  all  the  same,  he  had  noticed  that  coy, 
silent  figure,  and  keen  would  have  been  his 
disappointment  had  she  not  formed  one  of  the 
happy  group.    While  talking  with  the  others 


100  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE, 

his  eye  sought  her  out,  no  one  noticing  in  the 
obscurity  the  eager,  joyous  expression  that  lit 
up  his  countenance. 

"  Agnes,  I  am  glad  to  meet  you ;  it  has  been 
many  months  since  I  saw  you." 

Agnes  Altman,  the  sweet,  affectionate 
daughter,  and  only  child,  now  came  forward, 
and  extending  her  dimpled  hand,  said,  in  a 
low  voice : 

"  How  do  you  do,  George." 

She  was  too  timid  to  respond  to  the  warm 
pressure  of  her  admirer's  grasp,  and  noting 
her  embarrassment,  he  quickly  released  the 
fair  fingers  which  he  would  have  gladly  held 
indefinitely. 

Mr.  Altman  now  said,  with  evident  mis- 
giving : 

"  I  don't  want  to  alarm  you,  friends,  but  I 
believe  there  is  mischief  on  foot." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?"  asked  the 
elder  Ashbridge. 

"  Some  one  is  approaching." 

"It  must  be  Kenton  swimming  out  from 
shore,"  said  George  Ashbridge ;  "  I  forgot  all 
about  him  in  my  happiness." 


A  JOYFUL  DISCOVERY.  101 

"But  these  j^arties  are  not  swimming," 
explained  the  frightened  Altman  ;  "  they  are 
coming  up  the  river  in  a  canoe,  and  are 
making  for  this  boat;  we  must  be  ready  to 
receive  them." 


102  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  X. 

FELLOW    PASSENGERS. 

SIMON  KENTON  was  mystified  by  the 
disappearance  of  young  Ashbridge  and 
the  canoe. 

The  scout's  familiarity  with  the  Ohio  left 
no  doubt  of  his  having  returned  to  the  very 
point  where  he  had  parted  from  the  youth,  so 
the  ranger  could  not  make  himself  believe  the 
mistake  lay  with  him. 

He  stood  motionless  on  the  edge  of  the 
overhanging  limbs,  where  the  water  reached 
almost  to  his  shoulders,  and  tried  to  figure  it 
all  out. 

"  I  must  find  him,"  he  reflected,  "  for  he's 
got  my  gun,  and  I  wouldn't  lose  that  for  all 
the  canoes  and  Ashbridges  this  side  of  Vir- 
ginny." 

In  the  stillness  he  heard  a  sound  as  of  sup- 
pressed voices,  as  though  people  were  talking 


FELLOW  PASSENGEES.  103 

Tvitli  each  other.  He  listened,  and  quickly 
located  the  point.  It  was  on  the  river,  and 
not  far  off. 

A  minute  or  two  was  sufficient  for  Kenton 
to  gain  an  inkling  of  the  truth.  Without 
hesitation  he  began  swimming  toward  the 
point,  aiming  so  as  not  to  go  directly  to  but 
somewhat  below  it. 

He  was  swimming  in  an  easy,  deliberate  way 
when  he  caught  the  outline  of  a  canoe  a  little 
distance  out  in  the  river.  The  suspicions  of 
the  hunter  were  stirred,  and  he  cautiously 
swam  toward  it. 

It  sat  so  high  on  the  water  that  he  knew 
it  contained  no  more  than  a  single  occu- 
pant, if  indeed  it  had  that.  Nearer  ap- 
proach convinced  him  that  the  craft  was  the 
one  for  which  he  was  looking,  and  that  it  was 
empty. 

A  minute  later  the  whole  truth  was  mani- 
fest. It  was  the  canoe  that  had  vanished  so 
mysteriously,  and  its  contents  consisted  of  the 
long  paddle  and  the  rifles  respectively  of 
Kenton  and  young  Ashbridge. 

Everything  became  clear  to  the  scout. 


104  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  The  Tounker  has  found  the  flatboat  of  his 
friends.  They're  all  on  board,  and  he  was  so 
tickled  to  larn  it  that  he  just  dived  over  the 
gunnel  and  forgot  to  fasten  the  canoe  that 
took  him  there.  Wal,  it  was  a  piece  of 
'stronnery  carelessness  for  the  younker,  but  it 
won't  do  to  be  too  hard  on  him.  He  ain't 
the  first  chap  that  has  lost  his  wits  'cause  he 
was  happy." 

From  this  soliloquy  the  reader  will  per- 
ceive that  the  sagacious  ranger  was  not  far 
from  the  truth. 

Kenton  caught  up  the  paddle  and  ap- 
proached the  flatboat,  which  speedily  loomed 
to  view  in  the  darkness.  His  appearance 
caused  some  alarm  among  the  folks  who  were 
on  the  craft,  but  when  the  identity  of  the 
famous  scout  became  known,  it  need  not  be 
said  that  he  received  a  most  joyous  welcome. 
Indeed,  as  the  elder  Ashbridge  declared,  the 
party  was  completed  by  the  arrival  of  the 
dripping  ranger. 

"  It  ain't  often  things  turn  out  like  this," 
observed  Kenton  ;  "  where  Injins  is  consarned 
it   most   giner'ly   goes   tother   way — that   is, 


FELLOW  PASSENGERS.  105 

where  tilings  look  all  right,  they're  powerful 
apt  to  be  all  wrong." 

"I'm  so  delighted,  Kenton,  that  I  can 
hardly  restrain  myself  from  flinging  up  my 
cap  and  shouting,"  said  young  Ashbridge,  who 
had  managed  to  move  close  enough  to  Agnes 
Altman  to  touch  her  hand  in  a  timid  way. 

"  I'd  put  that  ere  shoutin'  and  yellin'  off 
fur  awhile,"  gravely  advised  Kenton. 

"  For  how  long  ?" 

"Waal,  say  two  or  three  years;  by  that 
time  this  part  of  the  country  will  be  purty 
well  settled  and  you'll  be  out  of  the  woods. 
Better  wait  till  then.  As  I  was  sayin',  we're 
jDOwerful  apt  to  find  that  things  have  gone 
wrong  rather  than  right  when  Injins  is  con- 
sarned.  I  had  a  sneaking  hope  all  along 
that  mebbe  the  younker  was  off  the  trail,  and 
his  folks  was  on  another  flatboat  that  the  var- 
mints hadn't  got  hold  of,  but  when  Sime 
Girty  obsarved  them  things  to  me  and  I 
knowed  they  was  the  truth — that  the  people 
on  that  ere  boat  down  the  river  was  a  man, 
his  wife  and  darter  and  an  old  man — I 
couldn't  doubt  any  more.     I  never  heerd  the 


106  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

younker  speak  of  the  old  man,  but  the  others 
fixed  the  thing,  and  I  s'posed,  of  course,  the 
old  man  was  one  of  the  family." 

"Then  you  had  no  hope  of  finding  us 
alive?"  asked  young  Ashbridge,  always  in- 
terested in  what  his  friend  had  to  say. 

"  Not  the  fust  bit— that  is,  I  didn't  ontil  I 
come  across  the  canoe." 

It  should  be  said  that  the  flatboat  on  which 
our  friends  were  descending  the  Ohio  was  the 
counterpart  of  the  one  that  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  Girty  and  the  Shawanoes.  The 
most  careful  scrutiny  would  hardly  have  de- 
tected any  difference. 

There  was  not  a  foot's  variation  in  the 
length  and  width,  and  each  had  the  single 
sweeping  oar  hung  on  a  pivot  at  either  end. 

The  variation,  if  it  may  be  considered  such, 
was  at  the  stern,  which  had  been  divided  into 
two  compartments,  for  the  use  of  the  male 
and  female  members  of  the  company. 

This  part  was  roofed  over,  and  the  sides 
protected  by  bullet-proof  planking.  True, 
the  quarters  were  somewhat  cramped,  but  in 
the  days  of  the  pioneers  the  discomforts  and 


FELLOW  PASSENGERS.  107 

hard  necessities  of  these  times  would  have 
been  considered  luxuries. 

It  must  be  remembered,  too,  that  the 
females  were  only  four  in  number,  and  it  was 
midsummer. 

While  there  were  three  males,  it  was  neces- 
sary that  one  of  them  should  always  be  on 
guard.  Mr.  Ashbridge's  experience  in  the 
west  had  taught  him  the  danger  of  running 
any  risk  that  could  be  avoided  by  care  and 
vigilance. 

All  this  time  the  flatboat  was  riding  at 
anchor. 

The  canoe  had  been  fastened  to  the  side, 
and  Kenton  withdrew  the  elder  Ashbridge 
and  Altman  to  the  forward  part  of  the  craft 
to  talk  over  some  matters  while  beyond  hear- 
ing of  the  women  folks. 

The  ladies'  first  thought,  after  the  flurry  of 
the  meeting  Avas  over,  was  the  duty  of  hos- 
pitality. 

They  had  eaten  their  evening  meal  before 
the  day  was  wholly  gone,  but  the  youth  and 
the  scout  had  partaken  only  slightly  in  the 
earlier  part  of  the  day. 


108  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

George  withdrew  to  the  stern  and  seated 
himself  on  one  of  the  boxes,  the  most  of  which 
had  been  arranged  so  as  to  serve  as  chairs? 
while  his  mother  and  Mrs.  Altman  busied 
themselves  in  preparing  him  food,  with  the 
coy  Agnes  and  the  radiant  Mabel  giving  what 
aid  they  could. 

These  preparations  were  slight,  for  no  fire 
was  kindled,  and  that  which  was  served  was 
in  the  nature  of  a  cold  lunch,  consisting  only 
of  plain  bread. 

Jethro  sat  down  on  a  box  a  little  way  from 
his  old  friend,  but  nigh  enough  to  catch  the 
delicious  odor  of  the  cold  food. 

"  Wittles  is  kind  of  sca'ce,  George,  dat  is 
to  say,  I  allers  finds  'em  sca'ce,"  remarked  the 
negro,  clasping  one  of  his  knees  with  his 
hands,  and  leaning  back ;  "so  I  would  like 
to  obsarve  dat  if  yo'  happens  to  find  yo'  has 
more  dan  yo'  knows  what  to  do  wid — why 
dars  no  need  ob  flungin'  it  overboard." 

"  No,  I  will  see  that  they  are  saved  for 
some  other  time,"  replied  the  youth,  partaking 
of  his  food,  and  reading  the  drift  of  Jethro's 
remarks. 


FELLOW  PASSENGEES.  109 

*'  I  guess  dar's  enuff  not  to  make  dat  ob 
necessary." 

"  If  I  am  not  to  throw  overboard  the  food 
which  I  don't  want,  and  am  not  to  lay  it  by 
to  be  saved,  what  shall  I  do,  Jethro?" 

"  Guv  it  to  me ;  I'll  take  care  ob  it." 

"  Here  you  are,  then,"  said  George,  too 
happy  in  his  own  great  joy  to  mar  any  one's 
pleasure  even  in  jest,  as  he  tossed  about  half 
his  liberal  supper  to  the  faithful  African, 
who  would  have  gladly  undergone  the  pangs 
of  starvation  for  his  sake. 

The  mother  of  George  Ashbridge,  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Altman,  and  Agnes  grouped  themselves 
around  him,  all  finding  comfortable  places 
during  the  meal,  which  was  a  light  one  on 
the  part  of  the  youth. 

Mrs  Ashbridge  took  a  substantial  lunch 
to  the  front  of  the  boat,  where  Kenton  and 
the  two  men  were  conversing  in  low  tones. 
The  scout  thanked  her  in  his  rough  but  polite 
way,  and  she  noticed  that  the  conversation 
was  suspended  or  changed  while  she  was 
within  hearing. 

The  fact,  however,  caused  her  no  discom- 


110  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

fort.  She  was  willing  to  trust  the  group, 
especially  now  that  Simon  Kenton  formed 
one  of  the  members.  His  fame  and  that  of 
Boone  penetrated  many  miles  to  the  eastward, 
and  his  presence  was  a  power  and  might  of 
itself 

"  There  isn't  any  doubt  of  it,"  said  Ash- 
bridge,  after  his  wife  had  withdrawn  beyond 
earshot;  "I  urged  McDougall  to  join  me  in 
going  down  the  river,  telling  him  we  needed 
all  our  strength,  and  it  would  be  much  safer 
for  all  of  us  if  we  united  forces.  He  was  in- 
clined to  do  so,  but  I  suspect  it  was  his  wife 
who  opposed.  She  had  a  fancy  that  if  they 
went  alone  they  would  be  able  to  select  a 
better  spot  where  to  put  up  their  home  than 
if  others  were  with  them.  McDougall  started 
nearly  two  days  ahead  of  us,  and  I  don't  see 
how  we  are  so  close  on  his  heels." 

"  That's  plain  enough,"  said  Kenton,  "  he's 
laid  to  oftener  than  you,  so  you've  catched 
up  with  him." 

"Poor  Mac,"  remarked  Altman,  with  a 
sigh.  "  His  home  was  only  a  mile  from  ours, 
and  he  would  have  been  glad  to  go  with  us, 


FELLOW  PASSENGERS.  Ill 

but,  as  I  said,  liis  wife  thought  dififerently, 
and  now  they've  all  been  killed." 

"  There  ain't  no  doubt  of  that,"  commented 
Kenton. 

"  Tom,"  said  Mr.  Ashbridge  to  Mr.  Altman, 
"  do  you  regret  coming  with  me?" 

"I'm  in  doubt,"  was  the  reply;  "they  are 
what  make  cowards  of  a  man,"  he  added, 
jerking  his  thumb  toAvard  the  happy  group 
at  the  stern  ;  "if  our  wives  and  children  were 
at  home  I  would  welcome  a  stirring  expe- 
rience like  that  which  confronts  us." 

"There  are  settlers  lower  down  the  river 
than  you  folks  intend  to  go,"  said  Kenton. 
"  Some  of  'em  have  been  there  for  more'n  a 
year;  if  the  trouble  among  the  redskins 
passes,  it'll  come  out  all  right.  If  the  block- 
house was  below  you,  I'd  advise  you  to  stop 
there  awhile.  As  it  is,  I'll  go  there  after 
seeing  you  landed  and  fixed ;  me  and  the  rest 
of  the  boys  will  keep  sharp  watch  of  the  var- 
mints for  the  next  few  weeks,  and  if  there's 
bad  times  ahead,  we'll  help  you  back  to  the 
block-house  till  it  blows  over." 

"  That's    probably  the    best    arrangement 


112  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

M-e  can  make,"  said  Ashbridge ;  "  as  I  figure 
it,  we're  about  six  miles  below  the  block- 
bouse  on  the  Ohio  shore,  and  something  less 
from  the  clearing  where  we  projDOse  to  make 
our  home." 

"  You're  right,"  commented  Kenton  ;  "  but 
do  you  want  to  have  a  brush  with  Girty  and 
the  varmints  on  t'other  flatboat  ?" 

"  I  feel  as  though  I  would  like  to  punish 
them  for  what  they  have  done,"  replied  Alt- 
man.     "  AVhat  do  you  think,  Norman  ?" 

"  We're  in  a  good  situation  to  do  so  ;  there 
are  three  of  us,  not  counting  Jethro,  and 
Kenton  there,  who  is  of  more  account  than  all 
of  us." 

"  I  heard  enough,"  said  the  scout,  "  to  larn 
they'll  try  one  of  their  tricks  on  you,  and  it 
won't  be  much  trouble  to  trap  'em." 

*'  It's  worth  trying  ;  but  if  they  are  drifting 
down  stream  we  may  not  be  able  to  overtake 
them." 

"  They  know  where  you're  aiming  for,  and 
they'll  anchor  agin  afore  they  reach  the  spot, 
so  if  we  h'ist  anchor  we're  sartin  to  float  close 
to  'em  " 


FELLOW  PASSENGERS.  113 

"  Let's  do  it,"  exclaimed  Altman  ;  "  we  may- 
be able  not  only  to  punish  but  to  teach  them 
a  lesson  they  need." 

Kenton  nodded  his  head,  to  signify  he  was 
suited ;  and  Altman,  rising  to  his  feet,  saun- 
tered to  the  stern  to  pull  up  the  anchor. 

AVhile  the  conversation  was  under  way,  the 
moon  appeared  above  the  dark  forest  on  the 
Ohio  shore,  and,  though  it  was  hardly  gib- 
bous in  form,  yet  in  the  clear  sky  it  shed  so 
much  additional  light  that  objects  could  be 
identified  a  number  of  rods  in  every  direc- 
tion. This  was  counted  an  advantage  by  our 
friends. 

The  flatboat,  like  that  which  preceded  it, 
carried  no  horses,  cows,  or  live  stock.  While 
such  animals  were  almost  indispensable,  yet 
it  was  deemed  best  to  wait  until  their  home 
was  made  more  secure.  Then,  what  w^as  re- 
quired could  be  obtained  from  some  of  the 
settlements. 

Altman  took  position  at  the  rear  oar  and 
Ashbridge  at  the  front.  The  handles  were  so 
close  that  they  could  converse  in  whispers? 
being  only  a  few  feet  apart. 


114  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Kenton  stationed  himself  near  the  bow, 
so  as  to  look  out  for  the  other  boat,  which 
he  was  confident  of  discovering  before  going 
far. 

Sure  enough,  less  than  two  miles  were 
passed  when  he  turned  his  head  toward  his 
friends  behind  him  and  said  in  a  low  voice, 
but  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all : 

"Yonder  the  varmints  are,  and  they're 
waiting  for  us !" 


THE  SUBTERFUGE.  115 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    SUBTERFUGE. 

NOW  that  the  second  flatboat  had  loomed 
to  view  in  the  dim  moonlight,  Simon 
Kenton  took  charge  of  matters. 

Surely  none  were  better  fitted  than  he,  and 
all  were  glad  to  have  the  benefit  of  his  skill, 
experience,  and  personal  daring. 

It  had  been  deemed  best  not  to  give  the 
women  any  intimation  of  what  was  likely  to 
come,  and  inasmuch  as  it  was  ten  o'clock,  they 
were  urged  to  retire  to  rest. 

Accordingly,  Mrs.  Altman,  Mrs.  Ashbridge, 
Mabel,  and  Agnes  bade  good-night  to  their 
friends,  and  withdrew  into  the  cabin  that  had 
been  fitted  up  and  set  apart  for  their  use. 

This  was  fully  half  an  hour  before  coming 
in  sight  of  the  other  craft,  and  all  had  sunk 
into  slumber,  for  they  were  wearied,  and  to  a 
certain  extent  had  become  accustomed  to  peril. 


116  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Thus  tliey  were  less  aflfected  than  they  had 
been  by  other  causes  during  the  early  part  of 
their  journey. 

This  left  the  two  full-grown  men  and  young 
Ashbridge,  who  gathered  around  the  moist 
Kenton  at  the  bow  of  the  boat. 

**  If  you'll  look  a  little  to  the  right  toward 
the  Ohio  shore,"  said  the  hunter,  "  you'll 
see  it." 

All  observed  the  craft,  so  similar  to  their 
own,  lying  motionless  in  the  current,  and 
about  one-third  nearer  the  land  than  their 
boat. 

"  Now,"  said  Kenton,  in  the  same  guarded 
manner ;  *'  I'll  do  the  talking.  I'll  sort  of 
change  my  voice  so  Sime  Girty  won't  know 
me ;  that  is  till  I  want  him  to  know  who  I 
am ;  you  must  keep  down  so  low  that  none 
of  'em  will  see  you.  He  mustn't  'spect  how 
many  we've  got  with  us  till  we're  ready  to  let 
him  know." 

It  was  not  until  our  friends  were  almost 
opposite  the  lower  flatboat  that  Girty  dis- 
covered their  approach.  Then  he  hailed 
them. 


THE  SUBTERFUGE.  117 

"Helloa  there!" 

Not  forgetting  to  change  his  voice  to  pre- 
vent recognition  by  his  old  acquaintance, 
Kenton  rej^lied : 

"  Helloa  to  you  !" 

"Won't  you  give  me  a  lift?"  inquired 
Girty. 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"Work  your  boat  over  this  way,  so  as  to 
take  us  on  board." 

"  What  are  you  ?"  asked  Kenton,  smil- 
ing to  himself,  for  he  knew  what  was  coming. 

"  I  started  with  my  brother  and  his  wife 
last  week  from  Wheeling ;  the  Injins  attacked 
us  up  the  river,  but  we  beat  'em  off;  they 
wounded  all  three  of  us,  but  me  the  worst ; 
I'm  hardly  able  to  set  up." 

"  Why  don't  you  lay  down,  then  ?" 

"  That's  an  onfeelin'  way  to  talk  to  a 
brother  in  distress,"  whined  the  renegade,  in 
a  voice  that  indicated  that  he  was  trying  hard 
to  keep  back  the  tears. 

"  It  does  sound  rather  rough,"  remarked 
Kenton,  though  regretting  his  words.  At  the 
same  moment  he  gave  the  tij^  to  Altman,  who 


118  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

let  the  big  stone,  which  served  as  an  anchor, 
drop  overboard. 

"Don't  you  obsarve,"  continued  Kenton, 
addressing  the  man  whose  given  name  was 
the  same  as  his  own,  "  that  I'm  too  far  down 
stream  to  work  over  to  you  ?" 

"  Shall  I  h'ist  anchor  and  work  at  mine  so 
we  can  j'ine  further  down  ?" 

"  I  thought  you  was  hurt  too  bad  to  do 
that  ?" 

"  I  can  help  a  little,  though  it  will  pain  me 
a  good  deal." 

"I've  dropped  anchor,  and  we'll  see  about 
what  you  say  later." 

"  How  many  are  on  your  boat?" 

"  I  have  myself  and  a  couple  of  ladies  and 
children,"  replied  Kenton,  telling  only  a  part 
of  the  truth. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  thankful,"  whimpered  Girty. 

"Why?" 

"  The  good  women  will  look  after  us  better 
than  rough  men  could." 

"  Yes,"  grimly  thought  Kenton,  "  and  you 
would  look  after  them."     Then  he  said  : 

"  They  told  us  at  the  block-house  to  look 


THE  SUBTEEFUGE.  119 

out  for  decoys,  and  I  promised  not  to  forget 
■what  they  said." 

"  What  are  decoys?"  was  the  innocent  query. 

"  Men  that  purtend  to  be  what  they  ain't — 
such  chaps  as  that  Simon  Girty,  who  is 
worse  than  the  Injins  themselves.  Have  you 
ever  heard  of  him  ?" 

"  I  have  ;  he  is  a  bad  man  to  act  that  way ; 
I  hope  you  don't  have  any  'spicions  of  me  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  but  I'm  a  little  afeard  ;  I'd  rather 
wait  till  morning  ;  you  can  stand  it  till  then, 
can't  you?" 

"  I'll  have  to,  if  you  mean  to  be  so  cruel 
and  unfeelin'." 

"  It  was  at  this  juncture  that  the  keen-eyed 
Kenton  made  a  discovery,  which,  it  is  safe  to 
say,  would  have  passed  unnoted  by  every  one 
else  on  the  boat,  and  which  few  who  had 
tramped  the  wilderness  as  long  as  he  would 
have  detected. 

A  shadowy  object  put  out  from  the  other 
side  of  the  captured  flatboat,  moving  silently 
and  swiftly  down  stream.  Dimly  discernible 
from  the  first,  it  vanished  from  view  the  mo- 
ment after  the  scout  observed  it. 


120  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Kenton  needed  no  clearer  view  to  iden- 
tify the  thing ;  it  was  the  Indian  canoe  that 
had  left  the  other  side  of  the  craft,  bearing 
two,  if  not  more,  Indians,  who  intended  to 
make  a  stealthy  descent  upon  the  unsuspicious 
boat,  which  they  believed  contained  only  a 
single  male  defender. 

The  scout  indulged  in  a  quiet  smile,  for 
this  was  what  he  had  manoeuvred  for,  and 
success  seemed  in  sight.  It  was  necessary 
to  hold  the  attention  of  the  renegade  while 
guarding  against  the  undetected  approach 
of  the  Shawanoes,  who  had  resorted  to  the 
artifice. 

Adding  a  warning  to  his  friends  to  re- 
main carefully  hidden  behind  the  boxes, 
Kenton  said  to  his  old  acquaintance,  who 
little  dreamed  with  whom  he  was  holding 
converse : 

"  You  don't  talk  like  a  man  who  would  tell 
a  story." 

"  My  gracious,  no !  It  would  break  my 
heart  if  you  thought  so." 

"  I  don't  want  to  break  your  heart,  I'm 
sure ;  but  haven't  you  a  canoe  with  you,  or 


THE  SUBTERFUGE.  121 

some  small  boat  that  you  can  paddle  across 
to  me  ?" 

"  We've  nothing  of  the  kind,  and  if  we  had 
none  of  us  would  be  able  to  paddle  it,  'cause 
we're  hurt  too  bad.  But  if  you  think  best 
for  us  to  wait  here  till  daylight  I  guess  we 
can  git  along." 

*'  Hold  on  till  I  talk  it  over  with  my  wife 
and  sister- in-law." 

Under  this  pretext,  Kenton  gained  the 
chance  to  stop  the  conversation  for  a  time 
without  awaking  suspicion.  He  quickly  ex- 
plained to  his  friends  what  he  had  learned. 

"Mebbe  I'll  need  your  help  and  mebbe  I 
won't,"  he  added ;  "  but  don't  forgit  to  stay 
where  you  are  until  I  give  you  the  word.  If 
there  are  three  or  four  of  the  varmints  in  the 
canoe,  I'll  want  you,  but  don't  stir  afore  I 
call  you.  If  there  ain't  more  than  two  I'll 
'tend  to  'em  myself  In  the  faint  light  I 
couldn't  make  out  how  many  there  was  in  the 
boat." 

"What  is  it  they  intend  to  do?"  asked 
young  Ashbridge. 

"  I  'spect  they'll  steal  round  so  as  to  come 


122  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

down  on  the  starn,  hoping  they  won't  be 
noticed  in  time  for  us  to  stop  'em." 

"  And  what  will  you  do  ?" 

"  That  depends ;  keep  quiet,  lay  low,  and 
leave  things  to  me." 

The  scout  felt  he  had  said  enough.  His 
friends  understood  him  and  held  their  peace, 
filled  with  excited  expectation,  but  obeying 
him  in  spirit  and  letter. 

Kenton  resumed  his  position  at  the  bow, 
but  now  stood  erect,  so  as  to  command  a  view 
of  the  river  on  every  side.  He  knew  the 
canoe  would  soon  attempt  its  stealthy  ap- 
proach, and  though  he  had  not  revealed  it, 
his  own  plan  of  action  was  clearly  formed. 

He  was  on  the  point  of  calling  out  to 
Girty,  when  he  heard  a  faint,  tremulous  cry, 
as  if  made  by  some  night  bird ;  but  instead 
of  coming  from  some  point  on  either  shore,  it 
came  from  the  river. 

It  was  a  signal  from  the  Indians  in  the 
canoe  to  the  renegade  on  the  flatboat.  Not 
only  that,  but  the  woodcraft  of  Kenton 
enabled  him  to  interpret  it. 

The  Shawanoes  were  hovering  just  beyond 


THE  SUBTERFUGE.  123 

the  line  of  visibility,  and  not  liking  tlie  still- 
ness that  had  settled  over  both  crafts,  wished 
the  conversation  resumed,  under  cover  of 
which  they  were  waiting  to  advance. 

"Haven't  you  made  up  your  mind  yet?" 
called  Girty,  well  aware  of  the  tense  situation 
and  what  was  expected  of  him. 

"The  women  folks  have  left  it  to  me." 
"And  what  do  you  think,  friend?" 
"  Wall,  I   hardly   know  what  to  say ;  but 
being  as  you're  hurt  so  bad,  I'm  afeard  you 
can't  work  your  oar  so  as  to  give  help." 

"  Don't  you  see  that  won't  make  any  differ- 
ence ?  We'll  float  along  side  by  side  till  you 
paddle  your  boat  over  to  me." 

"  I  guess  Tve  had  better  wait  awhile." 
"  Mebbe  that's  as  well,"  replied  the  rene- 
gade, who   now   wished  to  give   his  Indian 
allies  time  to  carry  out  their  little  scheme. 

Indeed,  it  was  already  under  way.  AVhile 
the  last  words  were  on  the  lips  of  the  speaker, 
Kenton  saw  the  canoe  coming  down  stream 
with  the  silence  of  a  shadow.  Like  the  moc- 
casins of  the  great  scout  and  ranger^  the  pad- 
dle seemed  "  shod  with  silence." 


124  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE, 

The  Shawanoes  at  first  had  descended  the 
river  so  far  that  even  the  keen  eyes  of  Ken- 
ton could  not  see  them  when  they  shot 
across  to  the  Kentucky  shore.  Then  they 
went  up  stream  until  a  safe  distance  above  the 
flatboat,  upon  which  it  was  now  advancing  in 
a  straight  line. 

The  subtle  red  men,  for  there  were  two  of 
them,  intended  to  land  at  the  stern  and  creep 
over  the  gunwale.  Fully  armed  as  both  were, 
they  counted  on  no  difficulty  or  danger  in 
overcoming  the  single  defender  and  toma- 
hawking the  defenceless  ones. 

Since  there  were  but  two  in  the  canoe, 
Kenton  decided  to  attend  to  them  without 
help  from  his  friends. 

He  expected  the  little  craft  to  advance 
swiftly,  now  that  it  had  entered  the  field  of 
vision,  but  to  his  surj^rise  it  hesitated  and 
held  back,  as  though  the  inmates  were  not 
fully  satisfied  with  the  outlook.  They  were 
more  guarded  than  he  anticipated. 

"  AVhat  is  your  name  ?"  he  called,  with  a 
view  of  inducing  an  advance  by  his  enemies 
in  their  little  craft. 


THE  SUBTEEFUGE.  125 

"  Volney,"  was  the  prompt  response,  "  and 
it  was  a  sorry  clay  when  we  left  our  home  in 
West  Virginia  to  come  to  this  'cursed  country. 
Aren't  you  sorry  that  you've  been  fool  enough 
to  do  the  same  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  should  be  ;  there 
hain't  nothing  happened  to  us  yet." 

Kenton  would  have  said  more  ;  but,  w^hile 
keeping  his  eye  on  the  canoe,  now  in  plain 
sight  and  approaching  faster  than  ever,  he 
was  startled  to  discover  that,  whereas  there 
were  two  Indians  in  it  a  few  minutes  before, 
now  there  was  only  one. 

"  What's  become  of  that  other  varmint  ?" 
he  asked  himself,  knowing  that  some  subtle 
mischief  was  afoot;  "he's  up  to  some  dev- 
iltry, I'm  sure,  and  there's  more  in  this  busi- 
ness than  I  thought." 

The  conclusion  of  the  scout  was  correct,  as 
he  quickly  learned. 


126  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LIVELY    WOEK. 

WONDERFUL  as  was  the  woodcraft  of 
Simon  Kenton,  the  events  of  liis  stir- 
ring life  proved  that  it  was  not  always  keen 
enough  to  protect  him  in  personal  peril,  and 
it  would  be  a  wrong  conception  of  his  charac- 
ter and  career  to  represent  him  as  never  fail- 
ing to  get  the  better  of  his  enemies  in  the  ex- 
citing game  of  strategy. 

He  was  now  confronted  by  two  foes  as  won- 
derfully cunning  as  himself.  Though  they 
credited,  like  Girty,  the  declaration  that  only 
one  man  was  on  board  the  second  flatboat, 
they  were  too  cautious  to  accept  it  as  a  fact 
without  some  investigation  of  their  own. 

At  the  moment,  therefore,  when  the  canoe 
was  within  a  few  rods  of  the  larger  craft,  and 
the  scout  was  bracing  himself  for  the  en- 
counter,   one  of   the  Shawanoes   silently  let 


LIVELY  WORK.  127 

himself  into  the  water,  and,  armed  only  with 
a  knife  and  tomahawk,  began  swimming  to- 
ward the  flatboat. 

He  was  repeating  the  tactics  of  the  scout 
himself,  and  doing  it  with  some  amazing 
cleverness,  for  instead  of  swimming  on  the 
surface  he  dropped  beneath  and  easily  passed 
the  intervening  space,  coming  up  at  the 
stern,  and  near  enough  to  reach  the  gunwale 
with  outstretched  hand. 

*  Doing  this,  with  the  same  absence  of  noise 
shown  from  the  first,  he  slowly  raised  himself 
high  enough  to  peer  over  the  side  of  the  boat. 

He  noted  the  piles  and  boxes,  but  could 
see  only  one  person.  He  was  standing  at  the 
front,  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  canoe. 
His  posture  proved  he  had  detected  it,  and 
was  wondering  what  it  meant. 

The  fine  sense  of  hearing  enabled  the 
Shawanoe  scout  to  note  the  gentle  breathing 
of  the  inmates  of  the  cabin  at  his  side.  That 
was  confirmatory  of  the  suspicion  that  these 
helpless  ones  had  but  the  single  defender. 

The  watching  and  listening  friends  were 
so  securely  concealed  behind  the  luggage,  and 


128  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

held  their  positions  with  so  much  care  that 
the  intruder  neither  heard  nor  saw  anything 
of  them. 

But  the  faint  moonlight  told  him  the  soli- 
tary white  man  possessed  great  strength  and 
activity.  He  held  his  rifle  at  his  side,  and 
douhtless  was  armed  in  other  respects.  He 
would  fight  like  a  tiger  in  the  defence  of  his 
family.  It  would  not  do,  therefore,  to  make 
an  open  attack  on  him.  Strategy  must  be 
resorted  to.  The  dusky  scout  must  steal  upon 
him  unawares  or  wait  for  the  help  of  his 
companion. 

An  unusually  large  box  offered  a  chance 
for  greater  concealment.  It  was  a  few  feet  to 
his  right,  and  with  the  same  marvellous  still- 
ness, the  warrior  shifted  his  position  until  the 
screen  was  between  him  and  the  sentinel. 

No  greater  proof  of  the  Shawanoe's  mar- 
vellous skill  can  be  given  than  the  simple 
statement  that  Simon  Kenton  did  not  suspect 
his  presence,  and  would  not  have  known  mis- 
chief was  afoot,  had  he  not  noticed  that  where 
he  had  seen  two  Indians  in  the  canoe  he  now 
saw  but  one. 


LIVELY  WOEK.  129 

Reaching  the  right  spot  the  dusky  intruder 
again  drew  himself  upon  the  gunwale.  Only 
that  portion  of  his  body  that  was  absolutely 
necessary  appeared  above  the  side  of  the  flat- 
boat,  and  that  was  hidden  from  sight  by  the 
obstacle  already  mentioned.  Kenton  could  not 
detect  the  redskin  without  changing  his  own 
position. 

A  few  seconds  later,  the  Indian  had  glided 
over  the  gunwale  and  was  crouching  behind 
the  box  which  had  done  so  much  good  ser- 
vice. He  was  on  the  flatboat  at  last,  and 
even  the  famous  scout  did  not  suspect  the 
ominous  fact. 

The  Indian  glanced  toward  the  rude  cabin 
whose  front  was  oj^en  and  was  almost  within 
arm's  length.  His  black,  serpent  eyes  glowed 
like  those  of  a  demon.  How  easily  he  could 
creep  within  the  structure,  and  with  a  few 
quick,  fierce  strokes  of  the  glittering  knife 
complete  an  awful  work. 

It  would  be  all  over  before  the  man  at  the 
other  end  of  the  boat  could  raise  his  arm  to 
prevent.     Why  hesitate  to  do  it  ? 

But  the  native  cowardice  of  the  miscreant 

9 


130  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

stayed  his  arm.  True,  he  might  complete  the 
terrible  deed,  but  he  was  certain  to  encounter 
the  man  before  he  could  leap  from  the  craft 
into  the  water.  The  issue  of  such  a  collision, 
to  say  the  most,  would  be  doubtful. 

No ;  the  policy  of  the  American  Indian  is 
to  avoid  a  fair,  open  fight.  Treachery,  cun- 
ning and  merciless  ferocity  are  his  choicest 
weapons.  First  of  all,  that  dreaded  figure 
at  the  bow  must  be  removed  from  the  path. 
Then  would  come  the  sweet  delight  of  the 
massacre  of  the  innocents. 

The  boxes,  luggage  and  debris  covering 
the  bottom  of  the  flatboat  offered  tempting 
means  to  the  Indian  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
pose. He  believed  he  could  thread  his  way 
through  and  among  them,  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  shadows  and  advancing  with  a 
stealth  and  stillness  that  would  prevent  de- 
tection. 

Once  in  the  rear  of  the  sentinel,  and  he 
could  drive  his  knife  with  such  terrific  vicious- 
ness  in  his  back  that  a  second  blow  would  not 
be  needed. 

The  Shawanoe  set  out  to  do  this.     Then 


LIVELY  WORK.  131 

the  "  deck  would  be  cleared  "  for  the  arrival 
of  his  companion,  who,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind,  was  approaching  with  the  canoe,  and 
was  now  at  hand. 

Meanwhile,  Simon  Kenton  was  doing  some 
hard  thinking.  The  great  question  with  him 
was  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  that  second 
Indian,  who  was  plainly  seen  in  the  canoe 
when  it  emerged  from  the  enveloping  gloom. 
The  scout  stood  silent,  listening  and  watching, 
meaning  not  to  be  taken  off  his  guard. 

"It'll  be  just  like  him  to  try  to  sneak  up 
onto  the  boat,  while  t'other  varmint  is  hang- 
ing back.     I  must  look  out  for  that." 

Kenton's  quick  survey  of  his  surround- 
ings disclosed  the  only  spot  where  a  hostile 
could  steal  over  the  gunwale  without  de- 
tection, so  long  as  the  scout  held  his  present 
position.  Accordingly,  he  shifted  his  pose 
so  as  to  command  a  view  of  that  sing-le 
point. 

The  mistake  thus  made,  as  the  reader  will 
perceive,  was  in  losing  sight  of  the  possibility 
that  the  Shawanoe  had  already  effected  that 
which  a  moment  before  was  within  the  range 


132  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

of  accomplishment.  Had  Kenton  moved  to 
the  right  a  little  sooner,  he  would  have  caught 
instant  sight  of  the  painted  face,  with  the 
dripping  horsehair  dangling  about  the  shoul- 
ders, as  it  rose  like  a  hideously  eclipsed  moon 
above  the  horizon  of  the  gunwale ;  as  it  was, 
the  scout  was  just  too  late. 

In  front  of  the  crouching  Shawanoe  opened 
an  avenue  a  few  feet  in  length  and  wide 
enough  for  the  passage  of  his  body.  It  was 
between  the  box  that  had  sheltered  him  so 
well  and  its  neighbor,  not  quite  so  large  or 
elevated.  Looking  down  at  it,  the  space 
which  was  in  shadow  seemed  dark  and  clear 
of  obstruction. 

Extending  his  wet  moccasin,  the  warrior 
set  it  down  and  bore  his  weight  upon  it. 
Immediately  there  was  a  howl,  loud  and 
frishtful  enouofh  to  wake  the  dead. 

With  never  a  thought  of  anything  of  the 
kind,  the  Indian  had  invaded  the  couch  of 
Jethro  Juggens,  who  w^as  lying  flat  on  his 
back  with  his  eyes  closed  and  his  mouth 
open.  The  most  unaccountable  fact  about 
the  episode  was  that  the  African  was  breath- 


LIVELY  WORK.  133 

ing  so  softly  that  the  'cautious  Shawanoe  did 
not  hear  him.  This  was  the  more  remarkable 
because  it  was  often  necessary  to  awaken 
Jethro  and  make  him  shift  his  position  in 
order  to  give  the  rest  a  chance  to  sleep. 

The  moccasin  descended  directly  over  the 
open  mouth  of  Jethro,  who  emitted  the  ter- 
rified cry,  half  smothered  in  its  utterance, 
and  struggled  desperately  to  throw  off  the  in- 
cubus. 

No  one  could  have  seen  more  quickly  than 
did  the  Indian  that  he  had  "  put  his  foot  in 
it "  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  term.  The  out- 
cry told  him  that  a  deception  had  been  at- 
tempted upon  him  by  the  unprincipled  white 
man,  and  that  only  one  course  remained  for 
him  to  save  himself.  He  took  that  course 
like  a  flash. 

Leaping  backward,  he  went  over  the  side 
of  the  flatboat,  and,  striking  the  water,  dis- 
appeared like  so  much  lead, 

''  Shoot  him  quick !"  called  Kenton,  who 
wished  to  reserve  his  shot  for  the  second  In- 
dian that  appeared  on  the  scene  at  this  mo- 
ment. 


134  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  words  were  addressed  to  Altaian, 
who,  forgetful  of  the  caution,  had  partly  risen 
to  his  feet  on  hearing  the  cry,  while  the 
Ashbridges  hesitated  to  move  until  asked  to 

do  so. 

Altman  was  erect  in  a  twinkling,  with  rifle 
at  his  shoulder,  on  the  alert  for  a  sight  of  the 
Shawanoe.  He  stared  over  the  side  of  the 
boat,  ready  to  aim  and  pull  trigger  the  instant 
he  caught  sight  of  the  target. 

"  He  has  dived ;  he  will  be  up  in  a  minute, 
but  if  you  ain't  quick  he'll  dodge  you ;  don't 
miss,"  warned  Kenton. 

"  I  won't  miss  if  I  can  only  get  a  show  to 
aim  at  something,"  replied  Altman,  who 
was    exasperated    that    no   target   presented 

itself 

Suddenly  a  ripple  showed  in  the  water 
sixty  feet  away.  The  pioneer's  finger  pressed 
the  trigger,  but  he  held  his  fire  until  he  could 
gain  a  better  view. 

"Why  don't  you  shoot?"  asked  Kenton, 
impatiently.  *' I  would  have  done  so  if  I 
hs^dn't  thought  you  would  nail  him." 

"  I  want  to  see  him  plainer." 


LIVELY  WORK.  135 

"You  won't  see  him  at  all." 

"  Why  not  ?" 

"  He  has  dived  agin,  and  won't  come  up  till 
he's  out  of  sight." 

"  I  didn't  think  of  that,"  replied  the  dis- 
appointed Altman,  still  keeping  his  gun  at  a 
level,  and  weakly  hoping  the  scout  was  mis- 
taken. 

But  he  was  not.  The  daring  Shawanoe 
had  escaped,  and  was  certain  not  to  present 
another  so  favorable  opportunity  to  his  ene- 
mies. 

While  this  stirring  episode  was  under  way, 
a  still  more  exciting  occurrence  was  taking 
place  at  another  part  of  the  boat. 

It  has  been  said  that  Jethro  Juggens  was  a 
good-natured  person.  Such  was  the  fact,  but 
good-natured  persons  are  the  most  to  be 
feared  when  aroused  ;  and  if  anything  is  cal- 
culated to  inflame  one's  wrath,  it  is  to  have 
a  man  not  only  place  his  wet  foot  over  one's 
mouth,  but  to  bear  down  his  full  weight 
upon  it.  Even  though  the  warrior  had  with- 
drawn his  dripping  moccasin  the  next  in- 
stant, it  did  not  lessen  the  fury  of  the  African, 


136  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

roused  iu  that  startling  fashion  from  sound 
slumber. 

"  Any  man  dat  plays  dat  trick  onto  me  has 
got  to  die !"  he  exclaimed,  struggling  to  his 
feet,  and  plunging  for  the  savage  that  had 
mortally  insulted  him.  As  has  been  ex- 
plained, however,  the  Indian  who  first  stepped 
upon  the  flatboat  succeeded  in  getting  away 
without  receiving  a  scratch. 

But  it  so  happened  that  the  second  warrior 
had  reached  the  side  of  the  craft  at  the  mo- 
ment his  companion  was  trying  to  steal  upon 
the  scout  at  the  bow.  Before  the  explosion 
occurred,  the  last  visitor  placed  his  hand  on 
the  gunwale,  and  went  over  into  the  inte- 
rior with  the  nimble  dexterity  shown  by  the 
other. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Jethro  emitted 
his  shout,  and  the  first  Shawanoe  leaped  over- 
board. The  second  warrior  was  "  rattled " 
for  a  brief  moment,  and  paused  in  doubt 
whether  to  advance  or  retreat. 

He  must  have  thought  that  the  cry  of  the 
dusky  youth  was  caused  by  a  mortal  wound, 
but  the  flight  of  the  Indian  and  the  glimpse 


LIVELY  WOEK.  137 

of  other  figures  apprised  tlie  hesitating  sav- 
asre  that  a  serious  mistake  had  been  made. 

As  he  came  over  into  the  boat,  he  brought 
all  his  weapons  with  him,  including  his 
rifle,  which  was  grasped  in  his  right  hand. 
Without  attempting  to  make  any  use  of 
any  of  them,  he  wheeled  to  follow  his  com- 
rade. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Jethro  sprang 
forward.  In  the  confusion  of  the  moment, 
he  confounded  the  two  Shawanoes,  suppos- 
ing only  one  was  concerned,  and  that  he 
who  turned  his  back  upon  him  was  he 
whose  pressure  he  still  seemed  to  feel  on  his 
mouth. 

"I'll  teach  yo'  better  manners  dan  dat!" 
roared  Jethro,  throwing  his  powerful  arms 
around  the  Shawanoe  in  such  a  way  as  to  pin 
his  hands  to  his  sides  at  the  very  moment  he 
was  about  to  leap  over. 

The  savage  struggled  desperately,  but  the 
African  put  forth  all  his  mighty  strength, 
and  flung  him  violently  upon  the  bottom  of 
the  bout.  Still  twisting,  squirming  and 
writhing,    the    warrior    was     hurled    again 


138  SHOD  WITH  SILENCR 

against  the  planking,  Jethro  falling  heavily 
upon  him. 

"  I's  got  you  fast,  ole  chap  !"  muttered  the 
sturdy  youth,  "  an  yo'  can't  help  yo'self " 

The  next  moment  Simon  Kenton  strode 
forward,  and,  stooping  over,  scrutinized  the 
painted  face  of  the  struggling  captive. 

"  Do  you  know  who've  you  got,  Jethro  ?" 
he  asked. 

"  Yas,  I's  got  de  chap  dat  put  his  foot  in 
my  mouf." 

"  And  he  is  The  Panther,  chief  of  the 
Shawanoes !  You've  made  a  powerful  big 
capture." 


THE  PEISONEE  OF  STATE.  139 


CHAPTEK  XIII. 

THE    PKISONEE    OF    STATE. 

JETHRO  JUGGENS  was  not  especially 
impressed  by  the  fact  that  the  prisoner, 
fighting  so  desperately  to  free  himself  from 
his  grasp,  was  The  Panther,  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  chiefs  of  the  Shawanoes. 

The  African  had  never  before  heard  his 
name,  but  not  doubting  that  he  was  the  in- 
dividual who  had  pressed  his  water-soaked 
moccasin  against  his  mouth  when  asleep,  he 
proceeded  to  "  teach  him  better  manners,"  as 
he  had  set  out  to  do. 

The  noise  and  confusion  roused  all  the 
sleepers,  who  peered  afifrightedly  out  from 
their  cabin  to  learn  the  meaning  of  the 
tumult. 

"  We  are  in  no  danger,"  explained  Mr. 
Ashbridge,  stepping  over  near  the  women. 
"  An  Indian  stole  on  board,  and  Jethro  has 
taken  charge  of  him." 


140  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  females  hastily  arranged  their  partially 
removed  clothing,  and  came  forth  to  learn 
more  fully  what  the  strange  proceedings 
meant.  The  men,  including  Kenton,  ranged 
themselves  around  the  combatants  and  watched 
the  issue. 

Knowing  the  terrible  chieftain  who  was 
thus  caught,  the  scout  thought  it  more  likely 
he  would  have  to  interfere  to  prevent  The 
Panther  getting  the  better  of  Jethro,  despite 
the  great  disadvantage  at  which  the  former 
was  caught. 

Had  the  conditions  been  equal,  Jethro 
must  have  succumbed,  for  the  Shawanoe 
was  more  wiry,  skilful,  and,  like  most  of  his 
race,  possessed  a  peculiar  faculty  of  twisting 
himself  out  of  the  grasp  of  an  antagonist. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  African 
had  flung  his  arms  around  the  Shawanoe  at 
the  waist,  pinning  him  fast.  The  grip,  too, 
was  from  the  rear  instead  of  the  front,  which 
was  more  in  favor  of  Jethro.  As  long  as  he 
retained  that  hold,  the  fearful  Panther  was 
an  infant  in  his  grasp. 

The   first   thing   done   by   the   Shawanoe, 


THE  PRISONER  OF  STATE.  141 

when  lie  comprehended  how  he  was  seized, 
was  to  let  go  of  his  cumbersome  rifle  and  try 
to  draw  his  knife. 

Had  he  succeeded  in  doing  this  and  facing 
about,  he  would  have  slain  the  negro  with 
lightning-like  quickness.  It  was  that  against 
which  Kenton  was  watching,  he  having  hast- 
ened to  the  spot  the  instant  he  saw  the  other 
had  escaped. 

"  Keep  your  grip  on  him,  Jethro,"  called 
the  scout,  who,  like  the  rest,  began  to  see 
the  grim  humor  of  the  situation.  "  If  you 
don't,  he'll  kill  you  with  knife  or  toma- 
hawk." 

"Not  much  he  won't!"  replied  Jethro, 
who,  despite  his  tremendous  pressure  and 
exertions,  felt  the  eel-like  antagonist  slip- 
ping from  his  arms.  The  African  fell  back 
on  the  only  recourse  at  command  when  this 
took  place.  Closing  his  vise-like  arms  round 
the  straightened  limbs  of  the  Indian,  he 
hurled  him  sideways  to  the  bottom  of  the 
boat. 

It  was  the  third  time  he  had  done  so,  but 
the    violence    of    the    last     movement    was 


142  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

greater  than  that  of  the  others  combined. 
The  Panther  landed  on  his  side  with  so 
much  force  that  he  lay  stunned  and  motion- 
less. 

*'  I  guess  he  won't  stick  his  foot  in  any- 
more colored  gemman's  moufs,"  muttered  the 
panting  Jethro,  rising  to  his  feet  and  survey- 
ing his  prostrate  antagonist. 

Kenton  stepped  forward,  picked  up  the 
Indian's  rifle,  and  handed  it  to  Mr.  Altman. 
Then  he  deftly  withdrew  the  tomahawk  and 
knife  from  the  girdle  at  the  waist.  The  Pan- 
ther was  now  without  a  weapon  with  which  to 
defend  himself. 

"  I  suppose  he  thought  you  looked  hungry," 
remarked  his  employer ;  "  why  didn't  you 
bite  the  moccasin  before  he  could  take  it 
away  ?" 

"  He  didn't  guv  me  a  chance,"  replied 
Jethro ;  "I  war  sound  asleep  when  I  thought 
dat  a  whale  had  flapped  his  tail  ober  my 
face.  By  the  time  I  woke  up  and  knowed 
what  war  gwine  on,  he  was  scootin'.  I  scooted 
too,  and  grabbed  him  as  he  started  to  sail 
overboard." 


THE  PEISONEE  OF  STATE.  143 

"  But,  Jethro,  lie  isn't  the  Indian  that 
stepped  on  you,"  said  young  Ashbridge. 

"What  yo'  talkin'  'bout,  Marse  George?" 
asked  the  African,  with  a  reproving  look  at 
his  young  friend. 

"  It's  a  fact ;  the  Indian  who  used  your 
face  for  a  door  mat,  thinking  it  was  only 
a  part  of  the  darkness,  jumped  into  the 
water  and  swam  away  before  you  were  fully 
awake." 

"  He  speaks  the  truth,"  added  the  elder 
Ashbridge. 

"  Den  who  am  this  chap  ?"  asked  the  ]3uz- 
zled  Jethro. 

"  Kenton  told  you  he  was  The  Panther." 
.    "  He  ain't  no  panther ;  he's  an  Injin." 

"  The  Panther  is  his  name,  and  he  is  one 
of  the  worst  Shawanoes  living." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tole  me  dat  afore  ?" 

"  What  difference  does  it  make  ?" 

"  I  would  hab  handled  him  more  keerful ; 
wouldn't  had  frowed  him  down  but  twice, 
and  would  hab  picked  out  a  softer  place  for 
him  to  fall  onto." 

"If  you   had   tried    that   he   would  have 


144  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

finished  you/'  said  Kenton,  whose  eyes  were 
fixed  on  the  motionless  figure  at  their  feet ; 
"  have  a  care,  folks ;  that  chap  will  come  to 
himself  in  a  few  minutes." 

*'What  if  he  does?"  inquired  Mr.  Ash- 
bridge. 

"  He'll  give  us  the  slip ;  bring  a  rope  and 
we'll  tie  him." 

It  was  Agnes  Altman  who  whisked  into 
the  cabin,  and  quickly  reappeared  with  the 
article  requested.  The  hunters  and  woods- 
men of  those  times  often  used  the  leathern 
fringes  of  their  dress  for  such  purpose,  but 
only  in  case  of  necessity. 

"Don't  be  cruel  to  him,"  she  said,  in  a 
sympathetic  voice,  "  he  didn't  step  in  Jethro's- 
mouth." 

*'  I  wouldn't  blame  him  if  that  was  all  he 
done,  for  I  cal'late  when  that  darkey  lays 
down  with  his  mouth  open  a  chap  has  got  to 
step  powerful  keerful  not  to  drop  into  it,  but 
The  Panther  is  a  bad  varmint,  and  nothing 
would  please  him  more  than  to  kill  your 
father,  mother,  and  all  the  rest  of  us." 

The  gentle  girl  was  shocked  to  hear  these 


THE  PRISONER  OF  STATE.  145 

words,  but  her  tender  heart  was  touched  with 
pity  for  the  warrior  who  had  been  so  roughly 
used  by  the  burly  African,  and  she  hoped 
nothing  further  would  be  done  to  the  captive. 

The  Panther  had  fully  recovered  his 
senses,  but  he  remained  motionless,  seem- 
ingly with  closed  eyes.  He  could  speak 
English  quite  well,  and  lost  hardly  a  word 
that  was  uttered. 

He  was  playing  "  possum,"  and  on  the  alert 
for  a  chance  to  elude  his  captors.  His  weapolis 
having  been  taken  from  him,  there  was  no 
possibility  of  his  recovering  any  one  of  them, 
but  he  could  not  have  been  without  hope  of 
outwitting  his  enemies. 

When  Kenton  knelt  over  him,  with  the 
rope  in  one  hand,  he  knew  the  crisis  had 
come.  With  incredible  dexterity  he  bounded 
from  his  prone  position  and  made  a  desperate 
effort  to  leap  overboard.  He  would  have  suc- 
ceeded, too,  but  for  the  scout. 

The  latter  was  expecting  such  an  attempt, 
and  before  the  chief  could  carry  it  into 
execution  he  was  forced  back  on  the  floor 
of  the  boat,  the  strong  rope  was  twisted  and 

10 


146  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

tied  about  liis  ankles,  and  then  his  wrists 
were  fastened  behind  his  back  in  the  same 
secure  fashion. 

At  last  he  was  absolutely  helpless,  and  the 
rest  could  stand  back  and  contemplate  the 
fallen  chieftain,  and  know  there  was  no  pos- 
sibility of  his  harming  them  or  getting  away. 

Now  that  the  threatened  peril  had  been 
averted,  and  the  people  on  board  the  flatboat 
had  recovered  from  their  flurry,  Altman  said 
to  Kenton : 

"We  have  forgotten  something." 

"  What  is  it  ?"  asked  the  scout. 

"  Yonder  is  the  other  flatboat ;  Girty  and 
one  at  least  of  the  Indians,  and  probably 
more,  are  on  board;  our  work  is  not  done 
until  we  have  punished  them." 

'*How  shall  we  do  it?  The  canoe  they 
came  in  has  floated  away." 

"  But  we  have  one  of  our  own,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  flatboat." 

*'  That  will  carry  three  of  us  if  it  is  handled 
keerfully." 

"  I  think  it  might  hold  more,  but  that  is 
enough — you,  Ashbridge  and  me." 


THE  PEISONEK  OF  STATE.  147 

"What  is  your  idee?"  asked  Kenton. 

"Let's  paddle  over  and  shoot  all  of  tliem  ! 
When  I  recall  the  poor  McDoiigalls — the 
strong  man,  the  wife,  the  little  child  and  the 
aged  father — all  slain  by  those  fiends,  my 
blood  boils.  If  I  was  certain  that  that 
demon  lying  there  had  a  hand  in  it,  I  would 
shoot  him,  even  though  he  is  a  prisoner, 
bound  hand  and  foot,  and  unable  to  raise  a 
finger  in  self-defence." 

"  He  deserves  it,"  replied  Kenton,  glancing 
sideways  at  The  Panther,  "  for  that's  the 
style  of  the  varmints  when  they  have  us  foul, 
but  somehow  or  other  I  can't  bring  myself 
to  strike  a  man  when  he's  down,  even  if  he  is 
a  redskin." 

"  No,  it  would  be  beyond  pardon,  but  let's 
make  a  fair  battle  with  the  other  flatboat. 
Ashbridge  and  I  will  be  glad  to  follow  if  you 
will  lead.     x4.m  I  right,  Norman  ?" 

The  three  were  standing  a  little  apart,  and 
spoke  in  tones  too  low  to  be  overheard. 

"Nothing  will  please  me  better;  there  will 
be  some  risk,  but  it  wouldn't  be  worth  under- 
taking if  there  wasn't." 


148  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Very  well,  it  suits  me,"  coolly  responded 
the  scout,  "  as  soon  as  we  can  fix  things 
we'll  start,  but  it  wouldn't  be  a  bad  idee  to 
larn  how  matters  are  on  t'other  boat  afore  we 
make  'em  a  call." 

"  How  can  that  be  done  ?" 

"  I'll  ask  Girty  some  questions ;  he  won't 
'spect  nothing  and  will  tell  me  the  truth." 

"  If  he  does  sjDcak  with  a  single  tongue,  as 
these  redskins  have  it,  his  information  should 
be  yaluable." 

''  One  of  you  had  better  step  over  to  The 
Panther  and  keep  an  eye  onto  him ;  even 
though  he's  tied  hand  and  foot  he  may  man- 
age to  play  some  trick." 

Acting  on  the  suggestion,  Ashbridge 
moved  across  the  slight  intervening  space  and 
joined  the  group,  who  were  looking  down 
with  varying  emotions  upon  the  frightful 
captive. 

The  Panther,  grim  and  sullen,  had  worked 
himself  to  a  sitting  position,  with  his  back  to 
the  planking  at  the  side  of  the  boat,  and  his 
bound  ankles  thrust  against  one  of  the  boxes, 
beside  which    Jethro  Juggens  was  sleeping 


THE  PRISONER  OF  STATE.  149 

when  roused  in  the  aggravating  fashion  re- 
lated. 

The  fallen  chief  did  not  look  up,  nor  were 
the  coppery  lips  moved  in  utterance.  Proud, 
sullen,  untamable,  defiant,  he  was  ready  to 
meet  his  fate  with  the  same  stoicism  that  he 
showed  when  viewing  the  sufferings  of  some 
hopeless  cajitive  tied  to  the  stake  and  with  the 
fagots  blazino;  at  his  feet. 

Assured  that  nothing  further  was  likely  to 
occur  to  disturb  them,  the  women  and  girls 
once  more  withdrew  to  their  cabin. 

The  incident  was  an  exciting  one,  and 
naturally  disturbed  all,  but  one  of  the  strange 
facts  connected  with  this  human  nature  of 
ours  is  the  readiness  with  which  it  adapts 
itself  to  circumstances. 

Agnes  and  Mabel  made  the  others  promise 
not  to  inflict  any  further  indignity  upon  the 
captive,  and  fifteen  minutes  later  the  girls  and 
their  mothers  were  unconscious. 

"  I'd  lay  down  and  finish  my  nap,"  re- 
marked Jethro,  "  if  I  could  feel  sartin  dat 
som  oder  Injun  wouldn't  try  to  step  into  my 
mouf  •' 


150  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Why  not  lay  one  of  the  boxes  over  your 
mouth?"  asked  George  Ashbridge.  "That 
would  protect  you." 

"Hoof!  I'd  like  to  know  how  I  could 
breve,  smarty !"  retorted  Jethro,  turning  his 
back  on  his  young  friend  and  looking  for  a 
place  to  lie  down,  for  his  capacity  for  sleep 
was  hardly  less  amazing  than  his  appetite  for 
food. 

Ashbridge  and  his  father  were  left  alone. 
The  parent  explained  what  had  been  decided 
upon  by  Kenton,  Altman  and  himself. 

The  youth  insisted  upon  making  one  of  the 
party,  but  the  parent  would  not  consent,  nor 
would  Kenton  listen  to  it — not  because  of  any 
doubt  of  the  young  man's  skill  and  courage, 
but  rather  on  that  account. 

It  would  be  the  height  of  imprudence  to 
leave  the  women  and  children,  even  for  a 
short  time,  without  any  protection  except  that 
of  Jethro  Juggens,  especially  when  such  a 
terrible  prisoner  as  The  Panther  was  on 
board. 

Accordingly  the  three  stepped  carefully 
into  the  canoe  drifting  alongside,  and  Kenton 


THE  PRISONER  OF  STATE.  151 

lifted  the  paddle,  wliicli  he  knew  how  to 
handle  so  well. 

."There's  one  thing  I  don't  understand," 
whispered  Altman  to  his  friend,  as  the  two 
placed  themselves  near  each  other. 

"What's  that?" 

"  When  Kenton  held  his  last  conversation 
with  Simon  Girty,  on  the  other  flatboat,  he 
did  not  use  a  word  of  English.  Both  spoke 
in  the  Shawanoe  gibberish." 

"  Nor  do  I  see  the  cause  of  that,"  replied 
Ashbridge. 

Had  the  friends  understood  the  reason  they 
would  have  had  no  difficulty  in  comprehend- 
ing another  interesting  incident  which  speed- 
ily followed. 


152  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    TORCH. 

IT  need  not  be  said  of  Simon  Kenton  that 
he  was  one  of  the  best  friends  the  pio- 
neers of  Kentucky  and  Ohio  ever  had.  There 
are  men  still  living  who  remember  the  genial 
old  man  who  attained  the  age  of  four  score. 

He  became  deeply  religious  in  later  years, 
and  was  noted  as  one  of  the  sweetest  singers 
at  many  of  the  old-fashioned  camp-meetings 
in  the  west  during  the  early  years  of  the 
present  century. 

Although  the  hero  of  some  of  the  fiercest 
encounters  with  the  red  men,  and  one  whose 
daring  was  never  surpassed  among  a  class 
noted  for  personal  intrepidity,  he  often  showed 
the  sympathetic  tenderness  of  a  woman. 

It  may  be  said  of  him  that  he  always  fought 
honorably  and  fairly,  and  left  a  name  un- 
stained by  a  single  unworthy  deed. 


THE  TOECH.  153 

It  has  already  been  intimated  that  he  was 
under  deep  obligations  to  the  man  who  was 
his  exact  opposite  in  every  respect — Simon 
Girty,  the  renegade.  This  ferocious  miscreant, 
of  whom  scarcely  the  slightest  good  can  be 
told,  once  saved  Kenton  from  being  burned 
to  death  at  the  stake  by  Indians. 

It  was  Girty  who  sat  on  a  horse  and 
laughed  at  the  wretched  Colonel  Crawford 
when  a  horde  of  warriors  and  squaws  were 
torturing  him,  and  he  begged  the  white  man 
to  shoot  him  and  end  his  misery. 

The  one  service  Girty  rendered  Kenton 
prevented  the  latter  from  seeking  the  life  of 
him  who  was  the  sworn  enemy  of  all  his 
race. 

The  scout  was  ready  at  all  times  to  do  his 
utmost  to  defeat  the  jolans  of  the  evil  person, 
and  hesitated  not  to  shoot  down  his  compan- 
ions in  wrong-doing,  but  he  could  not  visit 
injury  upon  the  renegade  himself 

This  will  give  the  key  to  the  conversation 
between  the  two  at  the  time  it  was  conducted 
in  the  Shawanoe  language. 

The  listening  Girty  on  his  boat  was  quick 


154  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

to  comprehend  that  the  scheme  of  himself 
and  The  Panther  had  miscarried,  even  before 
he  learned  the  particulars. 

The  warrior  who  effected  his  escape  so 
cleverly  swam  desperately  back  to  the  flat- 
boat,  and  made  known  the  disaster  that  had 
followed  the  attempt  to  outwit  the  settlers  on 
the  other  craft. 

The  disguised  voice  of  Kenton  had  pre- 
vented the  renegade  from  suspecting  the 
truth,  and  he  was  puzzling  his  brain  to  under- 
stand how  it  had  all  come  about  when,  to  his 
astonishment,  he  heard  himself  hailed  in 
tones  which  he  instantly  identified,  and  in  the 
tongue  of  the  Shawanoes. 

"  Wal,  Sime,  we  got  the  best  of  you  that 
time." 

The  renegade  felt  that  the  occasion  called 
for  considerable  forcible  language,  which  he 
used  in  demanding  further  explanation  from 
his  old  acquaintance. 

"  That  chap  you  had  the  talk  with  awhile 
ago  was  me,"  replied  Kenton.  "  I  used  an- 
other voice,  for  I  was  laying  low." 

"  Wal,  you  did  play  it  on  me  fine,  Kenton. 


THE  TOECH.  155 

It's  the  worst  trick  I  ever  had  worked  on 
me,"  replied  the  renegade,  who  now  compre- 
hended it  all.  "  I  don't  s'pose  thar's  any 
need  of  asking  you  why  you  done  it,  but  it 
doesn't  beat  the  trick  one  of  our  men  played 
after  he  got  aboard  of  your  boat." 

"  But  it  beat  the  way  The  Panther  man- 
aged things." 

"  AVhat's  the  matter  with  The  Panther?" 

"  This  is  the  boat  the  Ashbridges  are  on  ; 
there  are  others  beside  'em ;  we're  strong 
'nough  to  lick  a  company  twice  as  big  as 
yours.  I'm  talking  with  a  single  tongue  now, 
Sime ;  I  seed  your  canoe  leave  the  other  side  of 
the  flatboat,  and  knowed  what  was  up.  I  kept 
the  rest  of  the  folks  out  of  sight,  and  waited 
for  The  Panther  and  the  warrior  with  him." 

"  I  haven't  heerd  any  gun  fired,  so  I  reckon 
The  Panther's  all  right." 

"  There's  where  you're  mistook  ;  we've  got 
him  here,  tied  hand  and  foot." 

"  Is  that  honest,  Sime  ?" 

"  As  true  as  Gospel." 

"  I  s'pose  you'll  lift  his  ha'r  and  send  him 
under." 


156  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Not  while  he's  a  prisoner  ;  I'll  give  him 
a  chance,  and  then  it'll  be  him  or  me." 

"  I  pity  him,"  was  the  complimentary  re- 
mark of  the  renegade ;  "  but  don't  forgit, 
Kenton,  that  he'll  fight  like  the  devil." 

''  That  suits  me ;  it'll  make  things  powerful 
interesting." 

"  Why  are  you  speaking  in  Shawanoe  ?" 

"  'Cause  I  don't  want  my  friends  to  under- 
stand what  we  say." 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  want  to  give  you  warning ;  we're  com- 
ing over  in  a  few  minutes,  in  our  canoe,  to 
attack  you ;  they're  detarmined,  and  I  can't 
make  any  good  excuse  agin  it." 

"  'Spose  we  stay  and  fight  it  out  ?" 

"  It'll  be  bad  for  you  ;  take  my  advice  and 
leave." 

"  How  soon  are  you  comin'  ?" 

''  Inside  of  five  minutes  ;  I'm  doing  this, 
Sime,  'cause  of  the  favor  you  once  done  me ; 
don't  wait,  go  at  once." 

"I'll  be  gone  when  you  arrive." 

"  What  about  the  varmints  with  you  ?" 

"  Thar's  only  two ;  they'll  go  with  me." 


THE  TORCH.  157 

"You're  showing  good  sense,  for  it's  all 
that  will  save  you." 

This,  in  substance,  is  what  passed  between 
Kenton  and  Girty  just  before  the  canoe  left 
the  side  of  the  flatboat  with  three  fully 
armed  men  to  assail  the  party  that  had  ex- 
terminated the  McDougall  family.  The 
reason  why  the  Shawanoe  tongue  was  used  is 
apparent  to  the  reader. 

Nothing  in  the  manner  of  the  ranger, 
however,  indicated  the  harmless  double  deal- 
ing on  his  part.  He  handled  the  paddle  with 
noiseless  skill,  and  warned  his  companions  to 
be  silent  and  on  the  alert. 

"We've  got  a  powerful  advantage,"  he 
whispered,  "  'cause  they  won't  be  looking  for 
nothing  of  the  kind  ;  nevertheless  and  how- 
sumever,  I'll  paddle  down  stream  and  come 
round  by  the  bow,  where  they  won't  be  so 
likely  to  obsarve  us." 

He  carried  out  this  plan.  "Without  ap- 
proaching the  flatboat,  he  sent  the  canoe 
skimming  with  the  current  until  so  far  below 
the  big  craft  that  it  was  barely  discernible 
through   the   gloom.     Then,  with   the  same 


158  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

caution,  lie  turned  and  paddled  straight  for 
the  boat  of  their  enemies. 

"  I'll  lead  the  way  over  the  side  if  all's 
clear,"  he  added,  checking  the  canoe  under 
the  sloping  stern.  "  There  don't  seem  to  be 
any  one  on  the  watch,  but  wait  till  I  give  the 
word.  If  we  git  on  board  without  them 
seeing  us,  we've  got  'em." 

Ashbridge  and  Altman  followed  instruc- 
tions in  spirit  and  letter.  Firmly  grasping 
their  rifles,  they  sat  motionless  in  the  small 
boat  and  watched  their  guide,  who  stepped 
from  it  so  deftly  as  to  cause  no  perceptible 
jar.     Then  he  silently  vanished. 

This  brought  the  trying  moment.  The 
waiting  friends  expected  each  second  to  hear 
the  sounds  of  furious  conflict,  and  held  them- 
selves ready  to  rush  to  the  help  of  their  guide, 
but  everything  remained  still. 

Although  Kenton  knew  what  to  expect, 
since  he  was  aware  of  what  had  taken  place, 
he  moved  about  the  boat  as  one  moves  who 
is  *'  shod  with  silence."  He  went  from  end  to 
end,  peered  everywhere,  and  left  unexamined 
no  place  that  could  have  sheltered  a  cat. 


THE  TOECH.  159 

Returning  to  the  stern,  he  leaned  over  and 
spoke  in  an  undertone  : 

"  Every  one  of  'em  has  gone  !" 

"  Confound  the  luck  !"  exclaimed  Altman, 
stepping  out  of  the  smaller  into  the  larger 
craft.     "  That's  too  bad." 

"  Are  you  certain  there's  no  mistake  about 
it?"  asked  Ashbridge. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it;  the  boat  is  ours,  for 
there's  nobody  to  fire  a  gun  or  strike  a 
blow." 

Not  doubting  for  a  moment  the  word  of  the 
scout,  the  two  passed  from  stem  to  stern,  as  a 
person  repeatedly  searches  the  same  spot  for 
a  lost  article. 

•'Now  what  do  you  want  to  do?"  asked 
Kenton,  when  they  returned  to  where  he 
had  seated  himself. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  go  back  to 
our  own  boat." 

"  That's  all  true,  but  what  do  you  want  to 
do  with  this  boat  ?  It  has  some  lumber  in  it 
that'll  come  powerful  handy  when  you  build 
t'other  house,  as  I  reckon  you  mean  to  do  for 
Mr.  Altman  and  his  folks." 


160  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

There  was  force  in  the  remark  of  the  scout. 
The  lumber  composing  the  fiathoats  of  the 
settlers  and  pioneers  who  floated  down  the 
Ohio  possessed  great  value  to  them,  and  was 
scrupulously  preserved. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  little  company 
to  erect  a  separate  building  for  the  Altmans 
as  soon  as  it  could  be  done,  and  the  two  craft 
would  yield  enough  material  to  lessen  that 
work  to  a  considerable  degree. 

"  One  of  us  can  stay  aboard,"  said  Ash- 
bridge,  "and  he  will  have  no  trouble  in 
working  the  boat." 

"  Not  unless  Mr.  Girty  and  some  of  his 
friends  take  a  notion  to  make  a  call." 

"  In  which  event  the  one  in  charge  can  do 
just  as  he  has  done." 

"  Provided  you  have  the  chance  to  do  so. 
What  do  you  think  of  it,  Kenton  ?" 

"  There's  not  much  danger  of  your  being 
bothered  by  the  varmints ;  we're  too  close  and 
the  clearing  isn't  far  off;  besides,  we  won't 
start  afore  daylight." 

So  the  matter  seemed  settled.  The  ar- 
rangement  specified   was    about   to   be    car: 


THE  TOECH.  161 

ried  out  wlien  Ashbridge  turned  to  the  guide 
and  asked : 

"  Are  you  convinced  tliat  none  of  the  Mc- 
Dougalls  escaped  ?" 

"  Not  one  of  'em  is  alive,"  replied  Kenton, 
with  a  shake  of  his  head. 

"  They  might  have  been  made  prisoners — 
that  is  some  of  them — and  carried  away." 

"  I  wish  I  could  think  so,  but  I  know  the 
varmints  took  no  prisoners  here." 

''  Pardon  me,  Kenton,  for  wondering  how 
it  is  you  can  be  absolutely  sure  on  that 
point." 

The  hunter  looked  steadily  at  the  other 
for  a  moment  without  speaking.  In  the  faint 
moonlight  Ashbridge  felt  that  those  wonderful 
blue  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him  with  piercing 
power.  When  Kenton  spoke  his  words  were 
hardly  above  a  whisper,  but  they  were  as 
clear  as  the  notes  of  a  bugle. 

"  I've  seen  the  'sign.'  " 

"^\Tiere?" 

"Here    on    this    flatboat  —  everywhere; 

haven't  you  seed  it  ?" 

"No,"  replied    Ashbridge,   suspecting  the 
11 


162  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

fearful  meaning  of  the  words  just  spoken ; 
"  w^ere  all  killed  on  the  boat  ?" 

"Every  one  of  'em,"  was  the  impressive 
reply ;  "  when  I  was  looking  through  afore,  I 
told  you  how  it  was  I  sarched  for  '  signs.' 
They  was  everywhere,  as  I  said ;  there  didn't 
one  of  the  four  git  away ;  I  thought  mebbe 
they  would  sjDare  the  little  girl  and  wife,  but 
they  were  killed,  scalped  and  flung  overboard 
by  Girty  and  the  varmints." 

No  need  for  Kenton  to  explain  further. 
Despite  the  gloom,  he  had  noted  the  plenti- 
ful evidences  of  the  tragedy,  so  overwhelm- 
ing in  their  nature  that  not  a  shadow  of  doubt 
could  remain. 

"  I  want  to  leave  this  boat  without  a  min- 
ute's delay,"  said  Altman,  with  a  shudder; 
"it's  haunted  by  my  friends;  I  wouldn't 
tarry  for  the  world,  and  could  never  sleep  a 
wink  in  a  house  containing  one  stick  of  this 
timber;  I  shiver  now  when  I  reflect  upon 
what  has  taken  place  here." 

"  I  share  your  feelings,"  added  Ashbridge ; 
"  we  wan't  nothing  more  to  do  with  this  craft, 
Kenton." 


THE  TORCH.  163 

Tlie  ranger  looked  at  them  again,  af?  if 
in  doubt  of  their  real  thoughts.  Then  he 
said : 

"  We  don't  want  to  leave  it  for  Girty  and 
the  varmints,  for  when  they  find  we've  left, 
and  there's  no  risk  about  it,  they'll  be  back 
on  the  craft  and  do  what  they  can  to  trap 
others." 

"  How  can  we  prevent  that  ?" 

"Easy  enough  ;  burn  the  flatboat." 

"The  right  thing  to  do  !  It  will  be  an  ap- 
propriate ending  to  its  career,"  assented  Alt- 
man  ;  "  these  timbers  are  dry  enough  to  catch 
and  burn  readily." 

"  No  trouble  'bout  that,"  said  Kenton. 

The  savages  who  captured  the  craft  had  left 
hardly  a  shred  or  splinter  of  the  boxes  and 
luggage  that  were  on  board,  but  it  was  easy 
to  gather  enough  to  form  a  pile  of  combusti- 
bles near  the  cabin  at  the  rear.  This  was 
carefully  arranged  by  the  scout,  who  pro- 
duced his  flint,  steel  and  tinder,  the  only 
means  of  ignition  known  in  those  days. 

The  streaming  sparks  shot  from  the  quick 
contact  of  stone  and  metal  quickly  caught; 


164  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  flame  began  creeping  tlirougli  the  2^ile, 
fanned  by  the  breath  of  the  scout,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  the  flatboat,  the  scene  of  the 
woful  tragedy,  was  doomed. 


THE  WHITE  CEOSS.  165 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    WHITE    CEOSS. 

FEOM  tlie  time  the  tliree  men  left  one  flat- 
boat  to  paddle  to  the  other,  fully  twenty 
minutes  elapsed.  During  that  period  the 
only  persons  awake  on  the  last  were  The 
Panther,  young  George  Ashbridge,  and  Agnes 
Altman. 

It  has  been  said,  that  when  the  women  and 
children  withdrew  to  the  cabin,  after  the  start- 
ling occurrence  in  which  Jethro  Juggens 
bore  so  prominent  a  part,  all  sank  into  slum- 
ber. Such  was  the  fact,  but  a  burden  op- 
pressed the  heart  of  Agnes  which  disturbed 
not-  the  others. 

The  last  sight  of  the  captive  showed  him 
sitting  near  the  cabin,  with  his  back  against 
the  heavy  planking  of  the  side,  and  his  feet 
partly  extended  and  touching  one  of  the 
heavy  boxes  in  front. 


166  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

His  hands  were  fastened  behind  his  back, 
causing  him  to  lean  slightly  over,  and  his 
head  was  bowed.  He  was  the  picture  of 
despair.  Not  a  word  escaped  him,  nor  did 
he  move  a  muscle.  Had  he  been  carved  in 
stone  he  could  not  have  been  more  mute  and 
motionless. 

The  sight  so  troubled  the  girl,  that  before 
she  had  slept  ten  minutes  her  eyes  opened, 
with  her  thoughts  still  upon  the  hapless  cap- 
tive. 

She  had  been  told  that  The  Panther  was 
a  cruel  warrior,  whose  hands  were  deeply 
stained  with  the  blood  of  innocent  people ; 
that  he  had  slain  mothers  and  babes,  and 
was  on  an  errand  of  murder  when  he  fell 
into  the  trap  set  for  him. 

All  this,  and  doubtless  much  more,  was 
true,  but  it  could  not  extinguish  the  sym- 
pathy that  moved  her  to  rise  on  one  elbow 
and  peer  through  the  entrance  to  the  cabin. 

Upon  lying  down  the  second  time  she  had 
not  removed  her  clothing,  and  in  the  small 
space  she  knew  how  to  move  about  without 
disturbing  any  of  the  friends  near  her. 


THE  WHITE  CROSS.  167 

Peeping  out,  Agnes  saw  the  Shawanoe 
hardly  two  yards  distant,  just  as  she  had  seen 
him  after  bidding  the  others  good-night.  Al- 
though she  had  been  asleep  but  a  few  min- 
utes, the  time  seemed  much  longer,  as  is  the 
case  with  all  of  us  when  roused  under  similar 
circumstances. 

*'  Poor  man,"  murmured  the  girl,  "  he  has 
been  sitting  that  way  for  an  hour  or  more ; 
his  heart  is  broken." 

The  moon  was  near  the  zenith.  In  climb- 
ing the  sky  it  had  shaken  aside  the  obscur- 
ing clouds,  so  that  it  shone  down  with  the 
full  power  of  its  dimness  upon  forest,  river, 
and  flatboat.  It  fell  upon  the  head  of  the 
terrible  chieftain  of  the  Shawanoes  as  he  sat 
bowed  in  silent  desolation. 

The  Panther,  unlike  his  companion,  had 
not  been  in  the  water.  He  had  paddled  to 
the  side  of  the  larger  craft  and  come  over 
the  side  in  regulation  style.  So  it  was  that 
his  garments  were  dry,  and  the  eagle  feathers 
in  his  hair  unmoistened. 

The  Shawanoe  possessed  more  natural  cov- 
ering for  his  head  than  most  of  his  people. 


168  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Three  colored  feathers  were  thrust  among 
the  labyrinths  on  his  crown  and  pointed 
upward,  as  though  winging  the  arrows  that 
had  been  launched  by  some  celestial  archer. 

A  few  of  the  coarse  black  locks  were 
looped  and  dangled  on  his  shoulders,  but 
most  of  them  rested  on  his  breast,  one  strand 
reaching  to  his  waist.  The  left  shoulder,  the 
nearest  to  the  peering  Agnes,  divided  a  heavy 
lock,  so  that  one-half  lay  in  front  and  the 
other  back  of  the  shoulder. 

Agnes  noted  in  the  moonlight  the  double 
row  of  bears'  claws  encircling  the  neck,  the 
fringe  of  deerskin  below,  the  girdle  at  the 
waist,  in  which  had  reposed  the  frightful 
knife  and  tomahawk  (for  the  Indian  carried 
his  hunting-knife  differently  from  the  white 
man),  the  arm  bare  to  the  shoulder,  and  dis- 
closing slight  muscular  development  (the 
American  race  being  notably  deficient  in  that 
respect),  the  skirt  similar  to  that  worn  by 
Kenton,  the  leggings  and  their  fringes,  and 
the  moccasins  ornamented  with  many-colored 
beads.  All  these  she  had  observed  before, 
and  gave  them  only  a  glance. 


THE  WHITE  CROSS.  169 

It  was  upon  the  head  and  face  of  the 
fallen  chieftain  that  she  fixed  her  attention. 
The  hair,  flung  forward,  shut  most  of  the 
features  from  sight,  but  between  the  fringe 
of  dangling  locks  the  moonlight  disclosed 
the  outlines  of  the  forehead  and  large  nose, 
the  rest  being  veiled  by  the  interposing  hair. 

In  the  centre  of  the  forehead  the  chieftain 
had  made  a  rude  cross  with  white  paint.  All 
below  was  stained  of  a  different  color,  and 
could  not  be  clearly  seen. 

The  pale  rays  encircled  the  upper  part  of 
the  Shawanoe's  face  as  with  a  halo,  and  im- 
parted a  beautiful  significance  to  the  emblem, 
whose  full  meaning  had  never  penetrated  his 
brain. 

The  two  white  lines,  intersecting  each  other, 
had  probably  been  traced  by  the  coppery 
finger,  as  had  the  other  crude  figures,  invisi- 
ble in  the  faint  illumination,  but  to  the  awed 
Agnes  it  seemed  as  if  the  hand  of  heaven 
had  intended  the  cross  as  a  call  to  mercy, 
grace  and  forgiveness. 

The  fierce  words  of  Kenton  led  her  to  fear 
he  intended  to  put  The  Panther  to  death  in 


170  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

punishment  for  his  manifold  dark  deeds. 
Should  it  not  be  hers  to  interpose  and  do 
the  will  of  one  whose  forgiving  kindness  is 
infinite? 

Something  gleamed  through  the  tangled 
wealth  of  coarse  black  hair.  The  Panther 
had  not  turned  his  head,  but  he  knew  the 
girl  was  studying  him. 

Glancing  sideways,  he  fixed  his  serpent 
eyes  on  her,  for,  with  the  strange  subtlety  of 
his  race,  he  caught  the  meaning  of  that  pity- 
ing stare  from  the  door  of  the  cabin. 

He  was  a  past  master  in  the  cunning  of  his 
people.  Still  rigid,  motionless  and  mute,  he 
heaved  a  sigh,  which  spoke  more  eloquently 
than  words  of  his  woe  and  desj^air. 

This  touching  confession  of  grief  fixed  the 
course  of  Ao-nes  Altman.  Without  shifting; 
her  p>osition  in  the  slightest,  she  reached  her 
right  hand  backward  and  to  one  side  to  the 
oblong  box  in  which  the  knives,  forks  and 
spoons  of  the  emigrants  were  kept  when  not 
in  use. 

Was  it  not  the  gentle  directing  power  of 
heaven  that  caused  her  fingers  to  rest  at  the 


THE  WHITE  CEOSS.  171 

first  groping  upon  the  horn  handle  of  a  keen- 
edged  knife,  employed  in  carving  meat  ?  It 
was  a  formidable  implement,  and  nothing 
could  have  served  her  purpose  better. 

She  hesitated.  Where  were  Kenton,  her 
father,  Mr.  Ashbridge  and  George  ?  The 
heavy  breathing  near  at  hand  revealed  where 
Jethro  lay  unconscious,  but  for  the  moment 
she  could  not  account  for  the  absence  of  the 
others. 

It  must  be  that,  wearied  with  the  loss  of 
sleep  and  with  the  turmoil,  they,  too,  had 
laid  down  to  rest. 

"  If  I  set  him  free,  what  will  he  do  ?"  was 
the  query  which  checked  Agnes  after  she  had 
partly  left  the  cabin. 

Surely,  he  could  do  nothing  except  to  let 
himself  over  the  side  of  the  boat  and  silently 
swim  away. 

Perhaps,  if  her  friends  learned  what  she 
had  done,  they  would  chide  her,  but  she  could 
well  afford  to  bear  their  temporary  dis- 
pleasure for  the  sake  of  the  life  of  even  a 
wicked  man. 

Possibly,  if  spared,    divine   mercy   would 


172  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

bring  the  Shawanoe  to  repent  of  liis  misdeeds 
and  find  that  favor  which  is  never  refused  the 
truly  sorrowful. 

But,  if  all  the  rest  were  asleep,  how  could 
they  learn  what  she  had  done  ?  Surely,  The 
Panther  would  lose  no  time  in  seeking  his  own 
safety. 

His  captors  would  believe  that,  in  some 
way,  he  had  removed  his  bonds  and  worked 
himself  over  the  gunwale,  and  had  either 
drowned  or  floated  oflP  to  safety. 

Again  the  cunning  chieftain  heaved  a  sigh. 
Not  once  were  his  piercing  eyes  removed 
from  the  willowy  figure  that  now  emerged 
from  the  shelter  and  slowly  advanced  in  a 
crouching  posture  toward  him.  He  read  the 
working  of  the  maiden's  brain  as  plainly  as  if 
they  w^ere  translated  into  his  own  tongue. 

When  barely  a  couple  of  feet  separated 
them,  The  Panther  suddenly  turned  his  coun- 
tenance toward  her.  It  was  as  if  he  had  been 
awakened,  not  by  any  rustling  sound,  for  there 
was  none,  but  by  that  unexplainable  intuition 
which  often  warns  one  person  of  the  presence 
of  another. 


THE  WHITE  CROSS.  173 

Agnes  started  at  the  knowledge  that  the 
Indian  was  looking  at  her.  For  one  moment 
she  was  on  the  point  of  withdrawing  into  the 
cabin. 

She  would  have  done  so,  frightened  by  her 
own  pur^^ose.  That  hesitation,  even,  was  in- 
stantly comprehended  by  The  Panther,  who 
knew  the  critical  moment  had  come. 

Bending  his  body  slightly  forward,  he 
shifted  the  hands,  bound  at  the  wrist,  to  the 
left,  so  as  to  bring  them  from  behind  his  back 
and  into  the  sight  of  the  girl. 

"Hurt — hurt,"  he  whispered;  "good  pale- 
face cut,  Wa-on-mon  feel  bad;  cut,  good 
pale-face ;  AYa-on-mon  feel  good." 

No  more  effective  appeal  could  have  been 
made  to  Agnes,  but  she  was  a-tremble  and 
frightened  over  what  she  had  set  out  to  do. 

Holding  the  sharp  knife  in  her  right  hand 
and  raising  her  left,  she  uttered  a  warning : 

"Sh!" 

Strange  act  for  a  maiden  to  admonish  a 
veteran  chieftain  to  remain  silent,  but  he 
nodded  his  head  to  signify  he  understood  and 
would  obey. 


174  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

His  face,  now  turned  toward  her,  was  fully 
revealed  in  the  moonlight.  She  noted  the 
white  cross  that  had  awakened  singular  emo- 
tions in  her  heart,  and  the  darker  tracings 
were  dimly  shown  on  nose,  cheek  and  chin, 
all  framed  on  the  border  of  luxuriant,  black, 
coarse,  dangling  hair. 

Agnes  saw  these,  but  from  and  through 
the  wealth  of  hideousness,  one  emblem  shone 
out  as  if  with  a  beneficent  light  of  its  own ; 
it  was  the  white  cross  in  the  middle  of  the 
dusky  forehead.  Its  mute  but  forceful  appeal 
could  not  pass  unheeded. 

She  was  now  certain  that  no  one  was  awake 
on  board  beside  herself  and  The  Panther. 
Her  tumult  of  emotion  prevented  her  reason- 
ing very  clearly,  or  she  would  have  known 
that  such  a  condition  of  affairs  was  impossible. 

"Wa-on-mon  feel  bad — much  hurt,"  whis- 
pered the  Shawanoe,  fearing  that  she  would 
draw  back  when  on  the  threshold  of  action. 

It  was  a  truly  feminine  instinct  that  led 
Agnes,  even  while  reaching  her  trembling 
hand  forward,  to  whisper  in  lower  tones  than 
those  of  the  Indian : 


THE  WHITE  CROSS.  175 

"Wa-on-mon,  you  will  not  tell  what  I  do?" 

The  grim  painted  face  shook  quickly  from 
side  to  side,  flinging  the  enveloping  hair  over 
it  in  front,  but  it  instantly  settled  about  the 
shoulders  again. 

"No,  no,  no.  Wa-on-mon  no  tell;  good 
girl — much  good  girl." 

The  extended  hand  that  had  trembled  so 
much  as  to  threaten  the  success  of  what  Agnes 
had  in  mind  became  as  rigid  as  iron.  The 
bright  blade,  recently  sharpened,  gleamed  in 
the  moonlight,  and  the  razor-like  edge  was 
held  poised  over  the  hempen  thongs  that  in- 
closed and  held  the  wrists  together. 

A  brief  downward  cut,  a  slight  drawing 
back  and  forth,  during  which  she  took  care 
not  to  hurt  him,  and  the  cord  fell  apart.  The 
hands  of  the  captive  were  freed. 

The  maiden  glanced  at  the  thongs  which 
were  tightly  w^rapped  about  the  ankles.  Her 
work  remained  unfinished  until  they  were 
severed. 

"  Much  good  girl ;  Wa-on-mon  he  cut 
dem." 

And   before   she   divined    his  purpose  he 


176  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

drew  tlie  knife  from  her  hand  and  liberated 
himself. 

The  Panther  was  now  without  the  slightest 
impediment  to  free  movement,  except,  per- 
haps, the  slight  cramping  resulting  from  the 
long  constrained  posture. 

Holding  the  weapon  in  his  grasp,  the  Shaw- 
anoe  sat  motionless  for  a  few  seconds,  with 
his  basilisk  eyes  fixed  upon  her  who  had  thus 
given  him  his  liberty. 

Whether  it  was  gratitude  that  inspired  the 
burning  glow  or  the  consuming  hatred  of  a 
demon  that  led  him  to  meditate  striking  the 
one  fearful  blow  that  would  end  all,  let  us 
seek  not  to  know,  for  to  know  of  a  certainty 
we  cannot. 

AVith  no  suspicion  of  his  possible  thoughts, 
Agnes  moved  silently  back  to  the  door  of  the 
cabin,  and  was  on  the  point  of  entering, 
happy  in  the  reflection  of  the  merciful  act 
she  had  just  performed,  when  she  recalled 
that  The  Panther  still  possessed  the  knife,  for 
which  he  had  no  further  use. 

"  How  shall  I  explain  its  disappearance  if 
he  takes  it  away  ?"  she  asked  herself. 


THE  WHITE  CROSS.  177 

Turning  about,  she  approached  him  again 
and  whispered : 

"  Let  me  have  the  knife,  Wa-on-mon  ;  it  is 
not  mine." 

"  Soon  bring  it  back,"  he  replied,  retaining 
his  hold  upon  the  implement. 

She  was  disappointed,  but  entered  the  cabin 
so  gently  as  not  to  awaken  any  of  her  friends. 

The  Panther  gazed  after  her  for  a  few  sec- 
onds. Then  his  frightful  countenance  glowed 
with  a  baleful  light,  for  he  had  decided  to 
postpone  his  flight  from  the  boat  until  he 
should  wreak  full  vengeance  upon  certain 
parties  that  had  treated  him  ill. 

He  set  out  in  quest  of  Jethro  Juggens  and 
George  Ashbridge,  and  the  path  to  both  was 
open  before  him. 


12 


178  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   CHEEPING   SHADOW. 

INASMUCH  as  the  conversation  between 
Kenton  and  Girty  was  in  the  Shawanoe 
tongue,  every  word  was  understood  by  The 
Panther,  though  unsuspected  by  the  white 
people  on  the  flatboat. 

The  prisoner^  therefore,  knew  the  meaning 
of  the  canoe's  departure  with  its  three  occu- 
pants, and  foresaw  the  issue  as  clearly  as  did 
the  ranger  himself. 

He  comprehended,  also,  the  situation  in 
which  he  was  left.  The  women  and  children 
were  asleep,  as  was  the  negro  against  whom 
he  nursed  a  venomous  hatred,  because  of  the 
savage  handling  received  from  him. 

The  only  person  awake  was  young  Ash- 
bridge,  who  sat  down  on  a  box  near  him,  as 
if  with  the  purpose  of  keeping  watch  upon 
his  captive.     Had  the  youth  continued  this 


THE  CREEPING  SHADOW.  179 

vigilance,  that  which  followed  could  never 
have  taken  place. 

But  the  youth  was  in  a  fever  of  nervous- 
ness over  the  result  of  the  expedition  to  the 
other  boat  for  the  purpose  of  punishing  Girty 
and  the  Shawanoes.  He  keenly  felt  his  dis- 
appointment at  being  left  behind,  but  there 
was  no  help  for  it. 

Glancing  at  the  bowed  and  rigid  form  of 
The  Panther,  Ashbridge  reflected : 

"  Kenton  knows  how  to  tie  a  knot ;  The 
Panther  can't  work  his  hands  and  feet  free  in 
a  week  ;  he  might  push  himself  over  the  gun- 
wale and  fall  into  the  water ;  tied  and  bound 
as  he  is,  he  would  probably  be  able  to  keep 
afloat,  for  I  have  done  it  myself  without 
moving  a  limb,  but  he  knows  I  would  hear 
the  splash,  and  would  shoot  him  before  he 
could  get  away." 

This  train  of  thought  ended  in  the  conclu- 
sion that  it  was  not  necessary  to  mount  guard 
over  the  prisoner,  so  the  youth  walked  to  the 
extreme  end  of  the  boat,  which  pointed  slightly 
toward  the  Ohio  shore,  and  consequently  in 
the  direction  of  the  other  craft. 


180  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

There  be  kept  the  standing  posture,  with 
rifle  in  hand,  leaning  lightly  on  the  sweep, 
and  gave  his  attention  to  the  movements  of 
his  friends  and  the  result  of  their  enterprise. 

He  followed  with  his  eye  the  shadowy  ca- 
noe until  it  was  absorbed  in  the  gloom.  Cal- 
culating to  a  minute  the  time  required  to 
reach  the  craft,  his  anxiety  became  painfully 
intense.  Thus  he  failed  to  take  note  of  what 
was  passing  immediately  around  him. 

It  is  hard  to  imagine  the  exultation  that 
filled  the  heart  of  The  Panther  when  he 
found  himself  not  only  free  from  his  bonds, 
but  with  a  deadly  weapon  in  his  grasp.  In 
addition,  he  had  a  full  comprehension  of  the 
situation  in  which  he  was  placed. 

Had  this  dreaded  Shawanoe  and  enemy  of 
the  white  man  followed  the  simple  dictates  of 
jDrudence,  nothing  would  have  prevented  his 
escape.  He  could  have  slipped  over  the  side 
or  stern  of  the  boat,  where  the  youth  would 
not  have  observed  or  heard  him,  and  swam 
away  at  his  leisure. 

But  to  do  that  was  to  fling  aside  the  sweet 
opportunity   of  vengeance  upon    the  people 


THE  CREEPING  SHADOW.  181 

asrainst  ■whom  lie  had  sworn  undvins;  hatred 
and  a  merciless  war  to  the  end.  The  negro 
(whom  all  Indians  seem  instinctively  to  de- 
test) was  unconscious,  hardly  a  dozen  feet  from 
wliere  the  chieftain  was  crouching.  He  could 
not  leave  Jethro  alive  after  the  mortal  indig- 
nity suffered  at  his  hands. 

The  height  of  pleasure  would  have  been  to 
torture  him  at  the  stake.  Since  that,  how- 
ever, was  impracticable,  the  knife  must  do  the 
deed. 

Peering  over  the  obstruction  in  front,  The 
Panther  saw  young  Ashbridge  standing  at  the 
prow,  gazing  through  the  dim  moonlight  at 
the  other  boat,  and  as  unconscious  of  what 
was  going  on  near  him  as  if  in  the  depth  of 
the  wilderness.  His  side  was  turned  toward 
the  Shawanoe,  who  must  needs  steal  across 
the  craft  and  approach  his  victim  from  the 
rear. 

A  single  mental  debate  held  the  chief- 
tain motionless ;  it  was  whether  Jethro  Jug- 
gens  should  receive  the  knife  before  or  after 
George  Ashbridge. 

The  former  plan  was  the  easier,  since  the 


182  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

African  lay  within  reach,  while  the  white 
youth  was  some  distance  off.  A  cou23le  of 
steps  forward,  a  quick  downward  drive,  and  it 
would  be  all  over  with  Jethro. 

But  if  that  were  done,  a  slight  noise,  prob- 
ably an  outcry,  would  follow.  The  other 
would  be  instantly  warned.  He  had  a  loaded 
rifle  in  his  grasp,  and  would  use  it  before  The 
Panther  could  reach  him. 

No,  the  risk  was  too  great.  Ashbridge 
must  be  the  first  victim.  Meanwhile,  the 
dusky  youth  could  not  escape  him. 

Like  a  creeping  shadow,  the  Shawanoe 
stepped  carefully  beside  the  form  of  the  dusky 
sleeper. 

He  spared  him  when  he  was  at  his  mercy 
because  the  right  moment  had  not  come  to 
strike.  "Shod  with  silence,"  as  may  be  said, 
he  emerged  at  the  rear  of  the  piles  of  boxes 
close  to  the  other  side  of  the  boat  behind 
the  statue-like  form  of  the  youth  at  the  bow. 

He  was  not  immediately  to  the  rear  of  him, 
but  in  what  may  be  termed  a  three-quarter 
direction.  Nevertheless,  it  would  serve  his 
purpose  equally  well. 


THE  CREEPING  SHADOW.  183 

First,  the  left  moccasin  was  thrust  forward 
and  the  weight  of  the  chieftain  followed. 
Then  the  right  foot  did  the  same,  and  his 
body  was  advanced.  No  more  than  four 
yards'  space  lay  between  the  two.  Another 
step  and  still  another,  and  the  distance  would 
be  reduced  one-half 

Still,  George  Ashbridge  stirred  not,  and 
seemed  scarcely  to  breathe  in  his  profound 
absorption  of  mind  and  anxiety  for  his 
friends. 

The  Panther  was  standing  with  his  left  foot 
advanced  and  his  body  poised  on  both  limbs. 

The  right  hand  rigidly  grasped  the  knife 
at  the  hi]),  the  arm  slightly  bent  at  the 
elbow,  and  the  muscles  set  for  the  terrific 
blow  that  was  to  end  all.  He  had  now  but 
to  make  a  single  leap  to  clear  the  space  and 
bring  down  the  weapon  with  vicious  and  re- 
sistless force. 

At  this  moment  a  bright  light  flashed  from 
the  rear  of  the  other  flatboat.  The  flame 
spread  fast  and  wrapped  the  cabin  in  its 
glare.  Kenton  had  applied  the  torch,  and 
the  craft  was  on  fire. 


184  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  sight  was  so  striking,  so  unexpected 
and  so  strange  that  The  Panther  drew  his 
gaze  from  his  victim,  relaxed  his  vise-like  grip 
on  the  handle  of  his  knife  and  turned  his 
head  to  learn  the  meaning  of  what  had  burst 
upon  his  vision. 

Still  George  Ashbridge  saw  nothing  of  that 
dark  figure  stealing  forward  and  almost  upon 
him.  His  .attention  was  riveted  more  in- 
tensely than  ever  upon  the  other  flatboat. 

And  The  Panther,  secure  of  his  prey,  also 
saw,  and  dreamed  naught  of  an  equally  noise- 
less form  that  was  close  behind  him. 

Agnes  Altman  had  returned  to  the  cabin, 
serenely  happy  in  the  belief  that  she  had 
saved  a  man,  even  though  unworthy,  from 
death.     Lying  down,  she  murmured  : 

"  I  think  I  have  done  right ;  if  not,  God 
will  forgive  me." 

But  she  was  in  that  mood  of  nervous  inten- 
sity that  sleep  was  impossible.  Suddenly  a 
pang  of  doubt  pierced  her  mind. 

Had  she  done  right  ?  Had  she  not  com- 
mitted a  blunder  that  would  bring  sorrow  and 
death  to  her  beloved  ones  ? 


THE  CREEPING  SHADOW.         185 

The  remembrance  that  The  Panther  had 
persisted  in  keeping  the  knife  after  freeing 
himself  caused  her  an  increasing  misgiying. 

"  He  does  not  climb  over  the  side  of  the 
boat,"  she  reflected,  peeping  out  at  the  crouch- 
ing figure;  "he  hesitates,  he  cannot  shrink 
from  the  venture ;  the  way  is  open ;  what  does 
it  mean  ?     Oh,  heaven  !" 

She  saw  him  pass -from  sight  between  the 
boxes  on  his  way  to  slay  young  Ashbridge. 
Then  she  read  his  awful  purpose ;  he  meant 
to  slay  those  that  had  despitefully  used  him. 

Agnes  emerged  from  the  cabin  and  crossed 
in  absolute  silence  to  the  other  side,  thus 
taking  a  course  parallel  to  that  of  the  Indian. 
Moving  slightly  faster  than  he,  because  the 
way  was  more  open,  she  came  out  only  a  few 
paces  behind  him. 

Had  The  Panther  cast  a  single  glance  over 
his  shoulder,  he  would  have  seen  the  pale- 
faced,  crouching  maiden  advancing  like  a 
phantom  at  his  heels ;  but  what  possible 
thought  could  come  to  him  of  such  a  thing  ? 

All  his  imaginings  were  of  the  sweet  re- 
venge now  within  his  reach. 


186  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Agnes  saw,  too,  the  figure  of  the  youth,  one 
arm  lightly  supported  on  the  long  sweep,  the 
other  hand  gently  clasping  the  barrel  of  his 
rifle,  whose  stock  rested  on  the  floor  at  his 
feet. 

She  knew  the  miscreant  was  making  for 
him  with  the  frightful  knife  in  hand — the  one 
she  had  brought  forth  and  used  to  sever  the 
thongs  at  his  wrists. 

She  was  in  that  state  of  mental  exaltation 
when  one  crosses  the  boundary  of  misgiving 
and  nervousness  and  becomes  as  cool,  as  col- 
lected, as  set  of  purpose  as  a  man  of  iron. 
There  was  no  tremor  of  nerve  or  limb. 

George  Ashbridge,  The  Panther  and  Agnes 
were  equidistant  when  the  Shawanoe  paused, 
and  for  the  moment  turned  his  attention  from 
the  victim  to  the  blaze  on  the  other  boat.  He 
stood  still,  but  the  maiden  did  not. 

One  tiny  foot  was  thrust  forward,  resting 
like  that  of  a  fawn  on  the  planking,  and  then 
the  second  followed. 

Once  more  and  she  stood  directly  behind 
the  Shawanoe,  in  whose  black  heart  raged  the 
flames  of  hatred  and  vengeance. 


THE  CREEPING  SHADOW.  187 

He  paused,  with  grip  relaxed,  and  stared 
across  the  water,  which  reflected  the  increas- 
ing glare. 

A  few  pulse-beats  more  and  the  muscles 
would  become  rigid  again,  and  with  one 
bound  he  would  crash  down  upon  the  head 
and  shoulders  of  the  youth  like  an  ava- 
lanche. 

Agnes  Altman  could  touch  the  chieftain  in 
front  of  her.  Stooping  slightly,  she  reached 
her  right  hand  forward,  closed  her  dainty 
fingers  around  the  handle  of  the  knife  just 
below  where  The  Panther  loosely  grasped  it, 
and  with  marvellous  deftness  whipped  it  free 
and  flung  it  behind  her,  the  implement 
falling  with  a  ringing  sound  in  front  of  the 
cabin. 

At  the  same  instant  she  called  : 

"  George,  George ;  the  Indian  means  to  kill 
you!" 

The  youth  whirled  like  a  flash,  but,  quick 
as  he  was.  The  Panther  was  quicker.  With 
no  weapon  to  use,  his  only  thought  was  to 
save  himself. 

Comprehending  this  astonishing  trick  that 


188  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

was  played  on  him,  he  would  have  stricken 
down  Agnes  without  any  weapon  had  he 
dared  to  pause  to  do  so ;  but  intent  only  on 
flight,  he  dashed  for  the  rear  of  the  boat,  in- 
tending to  leap  overboard  from  the  furtherest 
point,  so  as  to  disconcert  the  aim  of  the  youth 
who  was  desperately  seeking  him. 

Ashbridge  darted  forward,  meaning  to  fire 
the  instant  he  caught  sight  of  the  redskin, 
who,  instead  of  taking  a  direct  line  or  plung- 
ing over,  when  the  chance  was  his,  dodged 
and  dashed  back  over  the  course  taken  a 
moment  before. 

Then  it  came  about  that  by  one  of  those 
strange  coincidences  which  now  and  then 
take  place  in  the  affairs  of  this  life.  The 
Panther,  with  no  time  to  measure  his  pace  or 
to  note  where  he  placed  his  feet,  stepped  upon 
the  stomach  of  Jetliro  Juggens  with  a  force 
that  drove  the  breath  from  his  body. 

Instinctively,  the  startled  African  threw  up 
his  arms  to  protect  himself,  and,  by  a  move- 
ment purely  involuntary,  seized  the  ankle  of 
the  offending  foot. 

"  I'll  be  hanged   to   gracious !"    he   called 


THE  CEEEPING  SHADOW.  189 

out,  grasping  the  situation  quicker  than 
usual  with  him,  ''  if  dat  painted  heathen 
ain't  trying  to  put  his  foot  in  my  mouf  agin  ! 
Dis  am  gettin'  to  obstraneous  to  be  put  up 
wid  any  longer !" 


190  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
"delays  are   dangerous." 

IT  certainly  was  a  curious  coincidence  that 
The  Panther,  in  his  furious  effort  to 
elude  the  young  pioneer,  who  was  at  his  heels 
with  loaded  rifle,  should  place  his  foot  upon 
the  sleeping  Jethro  Juggens  with  an  emphasis 
that  drove  the  breath  from  his  body. 

Had  it  been  the  first  time  the  dusky  youth 
was  disturbed  in  that  aggravating  manner 
his  anger  would  have  been  justified,  but 
since  it  was  the  second  outrage  of  that  nature 
his  wrath  was  boundless. 

"  I  know  yo'  aimed  for  my  mouf  wid  your 
foot,"  he  called,  "and  missed  it  by  de  most 
narrerest  chance  ever  knowed." 

The  throwing  out  of  the  arms  may  have 
been  instinctive,  but  when  one  hand  closed 
around  the  ankle  of  the  fleeing  Shawanoe  the 
African  held  on  with  a  grip  of  steel. 

He   meant   that   that    business   should  be 


"DELAYS  ARE  DANGEROUS."        191 

stopped  SO  summarily  that  another  repetition 
would  be  among  the  impossibilities. 

Several  furious  wrenches  failing  to  release 
the  imprisoned  member,  The  Panther  whirled 
and  struck  the  negro,  who  was  gradually 
struggling  to  his  feet.  Although  the  blow 
landed,  it  effected  nothing,  for  it  was  stopped 
by  Jethro's  skull.  A  kick  with  his  free 
foot  was  no  more  successful  in  freeing  the 
fugitive. 

"  No  use  !     I've  got  yo'  dis  time,  suah  !" 

It  is  awkward  for  a  man  to  make  use  of  one 
foot  when  the  other  is  off  the  ground.  Despite 
the  dexterity  of  the  Shawanoe,  he  fell  beside 
Jethro,  and  was  thus  placed  more  helplessly 
in  his  power. 

It  took  George  Ashbridge  but  a  second  or 
two  to  dash  upon  the  scene.  He  much  pre- 
ferred capturing  to  shooting  The  Panther, 
and,  seeing  that  an  obstacle  had  checked  his 
flight,  he  passed  his  rifle  to  Agnes,  now  at 
his  side. 

"Keep  that,"  he  exclaimed,  "and  if  I  call 
to  you,  shoot  the  Indian." 

"  I  will,"  she  replied,  accepting  the  weapon. 


1P2  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

She  meant  what  she  said,  too,  for  the  revela- 
tion of  the  chieftain's  purpose  had  wrought  a 
change  in  her  feelings.  Instead  of  succumb- 
ing to  the  mental  strain,  she  was  as  brave  and 
strong  as  ever. 

"  De  idee  ob  tryin'  to  shove  bofe  feet  in  a 
gemman's  mouf  am  too  conspecuous  to  be 
allowed!"  added  Jethro,  his  indignation 
reaching  the  boiling  point.  "I'll  teach  yo' 
dat  if  yo'  can  play  dat  low  down  bus'ness  on 
some  folks,  yo'  can't  on  me,  which  my  name 
am  Jethro  Juggens.     Take  dat !" 

And  he  let  fly  with  his  brawny  fist,  throw- 
ing his  whole  force  in  the  blow.  Had  it 
landed  it  must  have  been  effective,  but  the 
combatants  were  struggling  in  a  gloom  made 
deeper  because  the  boxes  immediately  sur- 
rounding them  shut  out  most  of  the  moon- 
light. 

Instead  of  colliding  with  the  bronzed  skull, 
Jethro  crushed  his  knuckles  against  the 
boards  just  above  the  crown  of  the  Indian  at 
whom  he  aimed. 

"  Gorrynation,  but  your  head  am  tough  !" 
muttered  the  youth,  unconscious  for  the  mo- 


'•  DELAYS  ARE  DANGEROUS."  193 

meiit  of  his  mistake,  though  he  felt  the  stun- 
ning effects  of  the  failure  of  his  aim.  "  I'll 
try  anoder !" 

''A^^iat  are  you  doing?"  thundered  Ash- 
bridge,  as  he  received  the  blow  on  his  shoul- 
der. 

"  Tryin'  to  smash  dis  heathen ;  I've  purty 
near  done  it,  and  dis  one'U  finish  him." 

"Don't  strike  again!"  shouted  the  other, 
who  knew  the  force  with  which  Jethro  could 
drive  a  blow ;  "  the  next  time  you'll  hit 
Agnes." 

It  was  the  incessant  movement  and  the  in- 
imitable dexterity  of  the  Shawanoe  which 
saved  him  from  these  unpleasant  attentions. 
He  had  ceased  to  fight  now,  and  strove  with 
his  utmost  strength  to  wrench  loose  before  his 
2)osition  became  hoj^eless. 

It  is  certain  that  if  the  two  had  been  left 
alone  The  Panther  would  have  succeeded  in 
freeing  himself,  desjDite  the  superior  strength 
of  the  African,  but  George  Ashbridge  speedily 
became  a  factor  in  the  business. 

The  youth  received  a  thrilling  shock  when 
Agnes  Altman  warned  him  of  his  peril. 

13 


194  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Turning  on  the  instant,  he  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  skurrying  Shawanoe,  but  retained  his 
coolness,  and  his  sight  of  the  struggling  bodies 
was  sufficient  to  identify  them.  He  flung 
himself  upon  The  Panther,  and  bore  him 
backward  in  spite  of  his  furious  r.esistance. 

"  Leave  him  to  me,"  he  called  to  Jethro 
the  instant  his  hold  was  secure ;  "  I'll  man- 
age him." 

"  Be  mighty  keerful,  Marse  George,  or 
he'll  get  bofe  feet  in  your  mouf ;  dat's  what 
he  tried  to  do  wid  me." 

"  Bring  me  the  rope  and  help  me  tie  him 
again  ;  I  can  master  him." 

The  Panther  was  flat  on  his  back,  with  the 
youth  astride  of  his  breast.  Though  the 
position  was  favorable  to  the  latter  and  unfa- 
vorable to  the  former,  the  latter  did  not  cease 
his  struggling. 

During;  these  few  moments  the  heart  of  the 
prostrate  warrior  must  have  been  gnawed  with 
chagrin  at  the  thought  of  his  hairbreadth 
failure  to  carry  out  his  scheme  of  revenge. 
It  was  impossible  to  come  any  nearer  and  yet 
fail  of  accomplishment. 


"DELAYS  ARE  DANGEEOUS."        195 

"  If  dar's  any  sliootin'  to  be  done,"  said 
Jetbro,  rising  to  bis  feet  and  addressing  Ag- 
nes, "  better  let  me  doot." 

"  Do  notbing  of  tbe  kind,"  warned  Asb- 
bridge  ;  "  be'll  be  certain  to  sboot  me." 

"  Most  likely  I  would;  least^¥aYS  I'd  be  sar- 
tin  to  bit  one  ob  yo',  wbicb  am  better  dan 
missin'  bofe." 

Knowing  wbere  tbe  prisoner  bad  sat  after 
bis  first  binding,  tbe  African  burried  across 
tbe  brief  distance  to  tbat  spot.  Tbe  moonligbt 
sbowed  bim  tbe  coils  lying  wbere  tbey  dropped 
wben  severed  by  tbe  knife.  He  picked  up  tbe 
pieces  and  surveyed  tbem  in  astonisbment. 

"  Hain't  dat  beatben  got  sbarp  teetb  to 
cbaw  'em  off  dat  way  ?"  be  mused.  "  Hello  ! 
Somebody  bas  sot  de  riber  on  fire !" 

In  tbe  struggle  witb  the  prisoner,  Jetbro 
bad  not  noticed  tbe  burning  flatboat,  but  tbe 
glare  tbat  now  spread  over  tbe  Obio  and  was 
reflected  on  botb  shores,  filled  him  with  amaze- 
ment and  awe. 

He  forgot  for  the  moment  the  errand  that 
brought  him  thither,  and  gazed  upon  the  im- 
pressive scene. 


196  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  craft  was  wrapped  in  flames  from  stem 
to  stern.  The  fire  had  burned  the  rope  hold- 
ing the  anchor,  and  the  released  craft  began 
slowly  moving  with  the  current. 

The  glow  lit  up  the  calm  surface  of  the 
river,  w^hile  the  limbs,  trees,  and  leaves  on 
both  shores  stood  out  bold  and  clear  in  the 
yellow  illumination  reflected  against  the 
heavens. 

Once  more  the  women  were  aroused,  though 
not  curiously,  perhaps,  little  Mabel  Ash- 
bridge  continued  sleeping  as  serenely  as  if  on 
her  mother's  bosom. 

The  women  pushed  their  way  to  the  side 
of  Jethro  Juggens,  who,  with  the  pieces  of 
rope  in  his  hand,  was  staring  with  open 
mouth  at  the  burning  flatboat. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  that  ?"  asked  Mrs. 
Altman. 

"  Guess  somebody  has  upsot  de  stove  try  in' 
to  warm  hisself." 

But  across  this  sea  of  illumination  the  ca- 
noe containing  the  three  men  was  seen  as 
plainly  as  if  at  mid-day.  Their  appearance 
suggested  the  truth  to  Mrs.  Ashbridge. 


"DELAYS  AEE  DANGEROUS."        197 

"  Kenton  has  paddled  tliem  over  to  tlie  flat- 
boat,  which  they  have  burned." 

"  But  what  has  become  of  those  tliat  were 
on  it  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Altman. 

"  All  burned  up,"  was  the  prompt  infor- 
mation of  Jethro.  "  I  heered  'em  yellin'  and 
begsin  to  be  let  off,  but  Kenton  told  'em  it 
w^arn't  no  use,  dey  would  hab  to  go." 

"  What  are  you  doing  with  those  pieces  of 
rope,  Jethro  ?  Where  is  that  Indian  that  was 
bound  ?  What  has  become  of  Agnes  ?"  were 
the  startled  questions  of  the  girl's  mother. 

"  Jethro  !"  called  young  Ashbridge,  "  wdiat 
keeps  you  so  long  ?" 

"  Dar !  I  knowed  I'd  forgot  sumfin' !  I'll 
be  dar,  Marse  George." 

And  he  scrambled  over  the  luggage  to 
where  the  others  w^ere  awaiting  him. 

The  youth  w^as  quick  to  note  that  the  rope 
had  been  cut.  Naturally,  he  had  been  won- 
dering how  the  captive  not  only  released  him- 
self but  secured  an  effective  weapon. 

The  severed  thongs,  and  the  presence  of 
Agnes  at  the  critical  moment,  explained  mat- 
ters, but  he  made  no  comment. 


198  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  pieces  being  much  shorter  increased 
the  difficulty  of  tying  The  Panther,  a  difficulty 
made  greater  by  the  vicious  struggles  of  the 
Shawanoe  to  twist  himself  free. 

"  Marse  George,  shan't  I  sot  on  him  to  hold 
him  still  ?  You  know  I's  heavy." 

"  Try  to  keep  his  legs  still  until  I  fasten 
his  hands." 

Exerting  all  his  strength,  young  Ashbridge 
speedily  secured  the  wrists  of  The  Panther 
behind  his  back.  Then  he  gave  his  attention 
to  the  lower  limbs. 

Meanwhile  Jethro  had  carried  out  his  de- 
sign of  sitting  down  on  the  feet  of  the  prisoner. 
It  gave  to  the  latter  his  only  chance  toward 
a  partial  payment  of  the  score  between  them. 

"I've  got  him  fast!"  called  Jethro,  when 
he  felt  the  two  moccasins  beneath  him.  "  I'm 
sottin'  down  heavier  dan  eber  afore,  and  de 
heathen  can't  breav — " 

Both  feet  were  jerked  from  under  the  Afri- 
can, and  the  legs  straightened  out  with  the 
suddenness  of  lightning.  As  they  did  so, 
the  moccasins  struck  Jethro's  head  like  a 
couple  of  piston  rods. 


"DELAYS  AEE  DANGEROUS."        100 

He  would  have  been  hurled  overboard  but 
for  the  planking  which  interposed  to  check 
him.  As  it  was,  he  turned  one  somersault  and 
part  of  another,  stopping  when  his  head  was 
beneath  his  body,  and  his  legs  over  the  gun- 
wale, with  his  feet  nearly  touching  the  surface 
of  the  water. 

He  narrowly  missed  Agnes  in  his  involun- 
tary flight,  and  was  so  stunned  that  several 
seconds  passed  before  he  was  able  to  extricate 
himself 

Brief  as  was  the  interval,  it  was  sufficient 
for  several  things  to  happen. 

The  Panther  attempted  the  same  thing 
against  young  Ashbridge,  but  the  youth  was  a 
more  skilful  wrestler  than  the  negro,  and 
quickly  placed  the  nimble  legs  beyond  the 
power  of  further  mischief. 

If  the  knots  were  tied  closer  than  before, 
and  there  were  more  of  them,  it  was  because 
the  increased  pieces,  their  shortness,  and  the 
resistance  of  the  prisoner  called  for  extra  pre- 
caution. 

"  There,  I  think  he  will  stay  awhile,"  re- 
marked  Ashbridge,   rising   to   his   feet   and 


200  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

stepping  beside  Agnes.  "Thank  you  for 
taking  care  of  my  gun.  I'll  relieve  you 
of  it." 

"  George,  can  you  forgive  me  for  cutting 
the  cords  which  bound  him  ?"  asked  the  girl, 
in  a  voice  dreadfully  close  to  a  cry. 

"  Yes,  provided  you  don't  do  it  again." 

"  I  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  then  I  never 
dreamed  he  would  act  as  he  did." 

"  No  harm  has  been  done,  and  you  saved 
my  life  by  your  warning ;  so  we'll  call  the 
account  square,  and  say  no  more  about  it." 

"  Thank  you,  George ;  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  last  few  minutes  have  been  unreal ;  I  can 
hardly  realize  what  has  taken  place ;  and  how 
strange  to  see  the  other  boat  burning  and  the 
river  as  light  as  day." 

"  Yes ;  your  father  and  mine  went  over 
with  Kenton  to  punish  the  Indians ;  but  they 
must  have  left,  and  as  the  only  thing  our 
folks  could  do,  they  set  fire  to  the  flatboat. 
But  where  is  Jethro  ?" 

"Dat's  what  I'm  tryin'  to  find  out,"  re- 
plied the  individual  referred  to,  who,  having 
recovered  his  feet,  was  gradually  rallying  from 


"DELAYS  ARE  DANGEROUS."        201 

the  dazed  condition  into  which  he  had  been 
thrown  by  his  rough  treatment.  *'  In  de  fust 
place,  am  I  Jethro  Juggens  or  am  I  dat 
heathen  what  ain't  me  ?"  he  asked,  staring  at 
the  young  man  in  front  of  him. 

"  You  are  Jethro,"  replied  Alice,  quick  to 
pity,  and  too  much  agitated  by  the  recent  oc- 
currences to  see  any  humor  in  the  situation. 

"  Tanks,  if  dar's  no  doubt  about  it ;  did 
dat  heathen  kick  me  wid  his  feet  or  wid  his 
head  ?" 

"  It  looked  as  if  he  used  his  feet,"  said 
Agnes,  gravely. 

"I  guess  dat's  de  fac'.  How  many  feet 
did  he  hab  ?  I  counted  seben,  but  when  he 
landed  'em  on  de  side  ob  my  head,  dar  war 
anoder.  I's  feard  I  split  de  planks  whar  I 
struck  'em,  and  will  sot  de  boat  leakin'." 

"  I  hope  you  were  not  hurt,  Jethro,"  said 
Agnes,  sympathetically. 

"  Not  much ;  I  feel  four  or  five  cracks  in 
my  head,  but  dey  don't  boder  me  much.  I'll 
get  Mr.  Altman  to  put  my  head  in  a  wise  and 
squeeze  'em  togeder;  den  I'll  be  all  right, 
sartin  suah." 


202  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  There's  nothing  the  matter  with  you,"  re- 
marked young  Ashbridge,  who  naturally  held 
a  strong  regard  for  his  dusky  friend.  Stupid 
he  might  be  in  some  respects,  but  he  was  often 
wise  in  others,  and  would  stop  at  no  sacrifice 
for  any  of  his  friends. 

"  What  sabed  me,  Marse  George,  was  strik- 
ing on  my  head.  As  long  as  I  can  do  dat  dar 
ain't  much  danger.  Hello !  What  de  mis- 
chief am  gwine  on  now?"  asked  the  African, 
catching  the  arm  of  his  master  and  pointing 
toward  the  Ohio  shore. 


IN  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  203 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

IN   THE   SWEET    LONG   AGO. 

JETHRO  JUGGENS  had  gone  through 
so  trying  an  exiDerience  that  he  was  ex- 
cusable for  seeing  danger  when  it  did  not 
exist. 

His  exclamation  at  the  moment  he  seized 
young  Ashbridge's  arm  was  caused  by  the 
sight  of  the  head  and  shoulders  of  a  man 
which  appeared  over  the  gunwale  on  the  other 
side  of  the  flatboat ;  but  they  belonged  to 
Mr.  Altman,  and  were  followed  immediately 
by  Mr,  Ashbridge,  and,  lastly,  by  Kenton, 
who  turned  and  secured  the  canoe  in  place. 

The  scout  knew  that  something  unusual 
had  occurred  on  the  flatboat  during  his  brief 
absence,  but  a  glance  told  him  it  was  without 
any  serious  results.  As  he  joined  the  group, 
all  his  friends,  with  the  exception  of  the 
sleeping  Mabel,  gathered  round  him. 


204  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

He  first  told  liow  he  had  paddled  to  the 
other  craft  with  his  companions,  meaning  to 
settle  accounts  with  Girty  and  the  Indians, 
but  found  they  had  taken  the  alarm  and  fled. 
Then  he  looked  into  the  faces  of  those  he  left 
behind  for  their  story. 

"1  am  to  blame  for  it  all,"  bravely  spoke 
up  Agnes ;  "  I  could  not  sleep,  for  I  thought 
Mr.  Kenton  meant  to  kill  The  Panther,  and 
he  looked  so  worried  and  sad  that  I  was  sorry 
for  him ;  so  I  stole  out,  and  when  he  reached 
his  hands  toward  me,  why,  I  cut  the  thongs 
that  bound  him." 

She  paused,  on  the  verge  of  tears,  but  was 
reassured  by  the  kind  words  of  the  scout. 

"It  warn't  a  wise  thing  to  do,  gal,  as 
you've  learned  for  yourself,  but  there's  noth- 
ing in  it  to  your  discredit,  and  it  won't  be 
safe  for  any  one  to  scold  you  in  my  hearin'." 

And  he  looked  around  as  if  challeno-ino:  the 
parents  their  right  in  that  direction. 

"  Go  on,  gal ;  did  you  cut  the  ropes  'round 
his  ankles,  too  ?" 

"  No,"  she  replied,  and  added,  in  her  sim- 
plicity,  "  he  said  I  needn't  take  the  trouble 


IN  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  205 

to  do  that;  then  he  freed  his  feet,  and 
wouldn't  give  me  back  the  knife,  but  tried  to 
steal  up  behind  George,  and  Oh,  he  meant  to 
do  him  harm." 

*'  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  had  some  such 
thoughts,"  observed  Kenton. 

*'  It  would  have  been  the  last  of  me  but  for 
Agnes,"  said  the  youth,  with  a  grateful  look 
at  the  girl. 

"  How  did  she  prevent  it  ?"  asked  the  scout. 

"  While  The  Panther  was  stealing  up  be- 
hind me,  she  slipped  after  him  and  snatched 
the  knife  from  his  hand,  calling  to  me  at  the 
same  time.  I  wheeled  about,  and  thus  was 
saved  in  the  nick  of  time." 

"  Why  didn't  you  shoot  the  varmint  ?" 

"  He  dodged  among  the  boxes  before  I  got 
the  chance." 

"And  what  next?" 

"Why  de  nex'  ting,"  Jethro  hastened  to 
say,  "  war  he  tried  to  get  bofe  feet  into  my 
mouf,  and  when  he  done  dat  he  shoveled  his- 
self  into  trouble.  Dat  steppin'  onto  my  mouf 
am  getting  too  monototionious  and  has  got  to 
be  stopped." 


206  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  I  am  proud  of  you,  my  child,"  said  the 
father,  taking  his  daughter  in  his  arms  and 
kissing  her.  Then  he  yiekled  her  to  the 
mother,  who  did  the  same,  and  then,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  Agnes  gave  way  and 
sobbed  as  if  her  heart  was  broken. 

A  symioathetic  silence  rested  upon  all  until 
Kenton  spoke. 

"  There  won't  be  any  more  trouble  to-night. 
This  bus'ness  is  all  over  till  to-morrer,  when, 
maybe,  something  will  hapi^en.  Now  go  to 
bed,  all  of  you,  for  you  need  rest.  I'll  keep 
watch  till  daylight." 

"  Kenton,"  said  young  Ashbridge,  stepping 
to  his  side,  "  I  cannot  sleep  for  some  hours ; 
may  I  keep  3^our  company  ?" 

"  I've  no  objection." 

"If  dar's  gwine  to  be  any  trouble,"  said 
Jetliro,  "  I  would  like  to  ask  de  favor  dat  yo' 
keep  dat  heathen  from  boddering  me  any 
more." 

"  I'll  guarantee  you  against  it,"  said  the 
youth ;  "  it  looks  as  if  he  will  stay  where  he 
is  till  we're  ready  to  make  a  change." 

"  But  he  may  hab  some  ugly  dreams  and 


IN  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  207 

git  to  floppin'  round  and  try  agin  to  put  liis 
feet  in  my  mouf ;  keep  a  clus  watch,  Marse 
George." 

Reassured  once  more,  Jetliro  Juggens  again 
lay  down  and  was  speedily  oblivious  in  slum- 
ber. 

The  rest  disposed  themselves  as  best  they 
could.  Now  that  the  strain  was  removed 
from  the  nerves  of  Agnes  Altman,  she  asked 
her  parents'  permission  to  remain  outside 
until  she  could  fully  compose  herself. 

She  promised  to  join  her  mother  as  soon 
as  she  was  in  a  condition  to  sleep.  Knowing 
her  for  a  good,  obedient  daughter,  the  parents 
made  no  objection.  A  half-hour  later  they 
were  unconscious. 

Simon  Kenton  stopped  beside  The  Panther, 
and  looking  down  in  his  face  for  a  moment, 
without  speaking,  stooped  and  examined  the 
ropes. 

He  tightened  them  in  one  or  two  places, 
and  then  strode  to  the  front  of  the  boat,  where 
he  seated  himself,  prepared  to  watch  through 
the  remaining  hours  of  the  night. 

The  Panther  had  taken  the  same  posture 


208  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

as  before,  with  his  back  against  the  planking 
on  the  right  side  of  the  boat,  and  his  feet 
extended  toward  one  of  the  boxes  in  front  of 
him. 

Not  a  murmur  came  from  his  lips,  nor  would 
any  be  heard,  no  matter  what  suffering  might 
be  visited  upon  him. 

The  position  of  the  scout  was  sufficiently- 
elevated  to  give  him  a  view  of  the  river  in  all 
directions.  With  him  on  guard,  no  one  could 
feel  alarm,  for  he  possessed  the  secret  of  keep- 
ing awake  during  the  tedious  hours  without 
any  change  of  position. 

By  this  time  the  other  flatboat  had  burned 
to  the  water's  edge.  Only  a  big,  charred, 
smoking  mass  of  timbers,  from  which  came 
a  crimson  gleam,  was  visible  far  down  the 
river,  where  it  slowly  drifted  out  of  sight 
around  a  bend  in  the  stream.  Fit  end  for 
the  craft  that  had  been  the  scene  of  so  sad  a 
tragedy. 

Ag-nes  Altman  seated  herself  on  one  of  the 
boxes,  a  few  paces  in  front  of  the  cabin,  and 
as  far  from  the  silent  captive  as  she  could  get. 

The  knife,  snatched  from  the  Shawanoe's 


IN  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  209 

grasp  and  flung  away,  bad  been  picked  up  by 
ber  fatber  and  restored  to  its  place.  Sbe  was 
beginning  to  recover  from  tbe  sinking  tbat 
follow^ed  tbe  release  of  tbe  tension  on  ber 
nerves,  and  sbe  decided  soon  to  join  ber 
motber. 

George  Asbbridge  noted  ber  loneliness,  and 
tbougb  be  longed  to  go  over  and  place  bira- 
self  beside  ber,  be  besitated.  Instead,  be 
walked  to  wbere  tbe  scout  was  seated. 

"  Younker,"  said  Kenton,  witb  a  grim  smile, 
"  I  don't  want  you." 

"  Wbat  do  you  mean  ?"  asked  tbe  youtb, 
nettled  by  tbe  abrupt  words. 

"Wbat  I've  said.  I  don't  want  you;  you've 
no  business  bere." 

"  You  told  me  you  bad  no  objection  to  my 
keeping  you  company  for  awbile." 

*'  Wbicb  is  true,  giner'ly  speaking  ;  but  do 
you  obsarve  tbat  gal  yander,  by  berself  ?" 

"  Sbe  intends  to  stay  only  a  few  minutes." 

"  Sbe  mougbt  stay  longer  if  you  went  over 
by  ber ;  take  your  cb'ice,  do  tbat  or  go  to 
bed  ;  I  won't  bave  you  loafing  bere  wbeu  sbe's 
alone.     I  look  upon  tbat  gal  as  tbe  bravest 

14 


210  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

and  sweetest  little  creatur'  that  has  ever  set 
out  to  make  her  home  in  Kentucky." 

"  So  she  is,  so  she  is ;  and  as  good  and  lov- 
ing as  she  is  beautiful." 

"  Younker,  you  heerd  what  I  said ;  it's  a 
ch'ice  atween  going  to  bed  or  stepping 
over  and  comforting  her,  and  that  right  off, 
too." 

Thus  driven  to  his  duty,  as  may  be  said, 
the  youth  plucked  up  courage,  and,  walking 
the  brief  space,  ventured  to  take  his  ])\ace 
beside  the  miss,  though  he  took  care  to  main- 
tain a  respectful  distance. 

"How — how  do  you  feel  now,  Agnes?"  he 
managed  to  ask,  in  a  tremulous  voice. 

"  Much  better,  thank  you — so  much  so  that 
I  think  I  will  join  mother." 

"I  wouldn't;  that  is,  I  wouldn't  be  in  a 
hurry  about  it." 

"  I  don't  think  I  am,  but  why  wait  longer?" 
she  asked,  with  that  winsome  archness  and 
innocent  coquetry  which  come  naturally  to 
her  sex. 

"  Why,  if  you  feel  well  because  you  have 
stayed   out  awhile  in   the  open  air — why — 


IX  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  211 

that  is,  if  you  stay  a  little  longer — that  is — 
why,  you  will  be  likely  to  feel  a  good  deal 
better." 

"That  sounds  logical,  George,  provided 
I  didn't  feel  as  well  as  I  expect  to  feel." 

"Sure  of  that,  Agnes?" 

"Of  course  I  am,"  she  replied,  turning 
roguishly  toward  him. 

"  It  sort  of  seems  to  me  that  you  look 
a  little  pale — that  is,  not  very  pale — but  a 
little  so." 

"  Nonsense !  You  cannot  see  my  face 
plainly  enough  in  the  moonlight." 

"  There's  where  you're  mistaken  ;  I  can  see 
things  very  plainly ;  can't  you  see  me,  Agnes  ?" 

She  turned  her  pretty  face  as  if  to  test  the 
question  of  vision  before  answering  him.  She 
held  her  gaze  fixed  so  long  and  earnestly  that 
he  felt  the  hot  flush  stealing  to  his  temples, 
and  he  knew  his  countenance  was  crimson. 

"  Agnes,"  he  faltered,  "  don't  I  look  kind 
of  pale." 

"  Do  you  think  you're  going  to  faint  ?" 

"  I  feel  rather  queer,  but  I  guess  I'll  get 
over  it." 


212  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  I  will  catch  you  if  you  do ;  but,  certainly, 
your  face  isn't  very  white.  One  who  has 
shown  such  bravery  as  you  ought  never  to 
faint." 

"  I  haven't  been  half  as  brave  as  you,"  the 
impetuous  youth  was  quick  to  say,  greatly 
relieved  to  veer  away  from  the  perilous  sub- 
ject ;  ''  why  everybody  agrees  that  no  girl 
ever  did  a  braver  thing  than  you  when  you 
snatched  the  knife  from  The  Panther's  hand." 

"  There,  George,  say  no  more  about  that," 
she  protested,  with  a  shudder  of  her  shapely 
shoulders;  "I  wish  I  could  forget  it." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  sjiould  wish  that ;  it 
will  be  a  good  many  years  before  you'll  hear 
the  last  of  it.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  one  of 
these  days,  maybe  a  hundred  years  from  now, 
some  story  writer  w^ill  put  it  in  the  papers." 

"  I  hope  not,  for  there  will  be  too  many 
better  things  to  tell !" 

"  I  wonder  if  the  people  will  believe  that 
story  writer,"  mused  the  youth,  "  if  he  tells 
how  a  girl,  not  out  of  her  teens,  saved  the  life 
of  George  Ashbridge  when  he  forgot  to  pay 
attention  to  what  was  going  on  around  him. 


IN  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  213 

But,"  was  the  saving  clause,  "I  guess  bis 
readers  will  be  as  ready  to  believe  tbat  as  tbey 
will  the  other  things  he  undertakes  to  write 
for  them." 

"  And  he  mustn't  forget  to  say  that  George 
Ashbridge  wouldn't  have  been  in  such  danger 
if  Agnes  Altman  had  not  been  silly  enough 
to  cut  the  thongs  about  the  wrists  of  an  In- 
dian prisoner  and  then  give  him  the  knife." 

"  That  isn't  the  worst  part  of  the  story  by 
any  means,  for  Kenton  said  it  did  credit  to 
your  heart." 

"  I  just  warned  you  to  say  nothing  more 
of  it,  and  here  I  am  talking  away  myself, 
as  though  there  w^as  no  other  subject  in  the 
world." 

"  Well,  what  shall  we  talk  about?"  asked 
the  youth,  hitching  closer  to  her,  and  in- 
stantly hitching  back  again. 

"Nothing,"  was  the  half-pouting  reply. 

"  Of  nothing,  eh  ?  What  shall  we  say  about 
nothing  ?" 

"Why  nothing,  of  course." 

"  What  an  interesting  conversation  that 
would  be!"  observed  Ashbridge,   recovering 


214  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

his  courage  sufficiently  to  move  an  inch  and  a 
half,  or  possibly  two  inches  nearer  the  be- 
witching creature,  and  holding  that  position. 

"George,"  she  said,  turning  her  lustrous 
eyes  upon  him,  "I  feel  a  great  deal  better." 

"  So  do  I ;  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  don't !" 

"  I  feel  so  well  that  I  will  retire,"  she 
added,  slipping  off  the  seat  and  facing  him; 
"  I  must  bid  you  good-night." 

"  But,  Agnes,  before  you  go — may  I — may 
I  ask  a  favor  ?" 

"  What  is  it  ?"  she  demanded,  still  calmly 
confronting  him. 

"  Nothing — O  nothing." 

"  It  is  granted." 

"  Thank  you — thank  you." 

''  Good  night." 

She  turned  to  move  off,  when,  in  despera- 
tion, he  seized  the  hem  of  her  homespun 
dress. 

"  Be  quick,  then !  I  mustn't  wait  any 
longer — Oh  George  !" 

He  had  done  it.  In  other  words,  he  had 
imprinted  a  kiss  upon  the  peach-like  cheek. 
Perhaps  Agnes  was  half  expecting  it  — possi- 


IN  THE  SWEET  LONG  AGO.  215 

bly  not.  At  any  rate  she  whisked  out  of  sight 
without  a  word,  so  that  nothing  positive  can 
be  told  of  her  feelings. 

And  Simon  Kenton,  who  had  not  lost  a 
word  uttered  by  the  unsuspecting  lovers,  now 
cleared  his  throat  and  said  : 

"  Younker,  I  reckon  you'd  better  say  good- 
night, too." 

And  all  this  took  place  a  long  time  ago, 
but  the  telling  is  none  the  less  sweet  because 
of  that. 


216  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

THE   SIGNAL. 

SIMON  KENTON  was  alone  at  the  front 
of  the  flatboat,  and  it  was  past  mid- 
night. All  his  friends  were  asleej),  and  he 
was  their  human  protector  while  they  re- 
mained unconscious. 

Little  fear  of  those  keen,  alert,  penetrating 
eyes  closing  in  slumber  before  their  owner 
willed  they  should  do  so. 

Not  a  sign  remained  of  the  flatboat  to 
which  he  had  applied  the  torch,  and  the  same 
profound  stillness  brooded  over  forest  and 
river  that  he  had  noted  times  without  number 
during  his  journeying  to  and  fro  in  the 
almost  unsettled  AYest.  Looking  northward 
toward  Ohio,  the  solemn  wilderness  stretched 
away  until  lost  in  the  obscurity,  and  it  w^as 
the  same  in  the  direction  of  Kentucky. 

The  moon,  far  up  in  the  sky,  illumined  the 


THE  SIGNAL,  217 

tranquil  stream  with  its  silvery  glow,  and 
shed  a  radiance  which  rendered  it  impossible 
for  any  one  to  approach  the  craft  unobserved, 
unless  the  sentinel  should  fall  asleep,  and 
that,  as  we  have  already  said,  could  not 
occur. 

The  scout  looked  up  at  the  gibbous  moon 
and  the  few  twinkling  stars.  Naturally  of  a 
reflective  turn  of  mind,  despite  his  roughness 
of  speech  and  tbe  adventurous  life  he  had 
led,  Simon  Kenton's  thoughts  often  took  a 
trend  almost  unknown  to  his  comrades. 

"There  was  a  missionary  at  the  block- 
house last  winter,  and  he  told  us  about  One 
that  lives  beyond  them  stars  and  keeps  watch 
of  His  creatures  down  here  on  the  yearth.  I 
know  it's  so,  for  my  good  old  mother  used  to 
tell  me  the  same  thing  when  I  was  a  younker 
just  larning  to  talk,  and  could  only  kneel  at 
her  knee  and  say  my  prayers  after  her." 

"I've  never  forgot  'em,"  added  the  ranger, 
with  a  peculiar  thrill  of  pride;  "that  is,  I 
haven't  forgot  the  words,  and  I've  said  "em 
over  a  good  many  times,  though  the  sarcum- 
stances  weren't  always  ca'c'lated  to  compose  a 


218  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

feller's  mind,  f 'r  instance,  when  a  dozen  of 
the  varmints  were  chasing  me  through  the 
woods  and  me  dodging  their  bullets. 

"  It's  all  true,  everything  they  say  about 
Him ;  He  watches  what  every  one  of  us  does 
and  never  forgets  it.  I  hope  He  doesn't  see 
many  things  done  by  Sime  Kenton  that  brings 
a  frown.  When  I  do  go  under,  as  all  of  us 
has  got  to  do  one  of  these  days,  I  mean  that 
I  shan't  be  afeard  to  stand  up  straight  when 
I  meet  Him,  and  answer  to  my  name  in  a  loud 
voice." 

The  training  of  the  ranger  would  not  allow 
him  to  forget  his  surroundings.  He  felt  his 
responsibility  in  caring  for  those  on  the  boat, 
and  though  his  thoughts  took  the  serious  turn 
noted,  he  did  not  lose  sight  of  where  he  was, 
and  of  the  peril  that  was  never  wholly  lifted 
from  him  and  them. 

From  where  he  stood  he  had  but  to  take  a 
single  step  forward  to  see  The  Panther,  who 
held  the  position  already  described.  It  w^ould 
have  been  easy  to  believe  the  Shawanoe  was 
asleep,  but  Kenton  was  not  deceived.  The 
keenest  scrutiny  failed  to  show  any  movement 


THE  SIGNAL.  219 

or  change  of  position,  but  for  all  that  his  dark 
brain  was  busy  conjuring  up  some  method  of 
outwitting  his  captors. 

"  The  varmint  may  shet  his  eyes,  but  he 
sees  all  the  same ;  he's  as  fast  on  the  trail  as 
Deerfoot,  and  can  fight  like  a  catamount  when 
he's  a  mind  to.  If  I  can  only  fix  it,"  added 
the  scout,  with  a  thrill,  "  so  him  and  me  can 
meet  on  the  squar'  and  have  it  out,  where  I'll 
feel  it  my  bounden  duty  to  put  in  my  best 
licks ;  why  the  amusement  will  be  of  the 
highest  natur'  that  Sime  Kenton  ever  sot 
eyes  on." 

Although  he  had  examined  and  tightened 
the  bonds  of  the  prisoner,  the  scout  could  not 
free  his  mind  of  a  certain  misgiving.  It 
seemed  unnatural  for  the  chieftain  to  submit 
so  meekly  and  hold  a  motionless  posture,  as 
though  crushed  with  despair.  The  Shawanoe 
had  no  warrant  to  expect  mercy  from  the  pio- 
neers, and  ought  to  fight  to  the  end. 

"  He's  hatching  mischief,"  was  the  conclu- 
sion of  Kenton  ;  "he  isn't  goin'  to  set  there 
and  hold  his  head  bent  over  for  many  hours, 
as  though  inviting  some  one  to  come  along 


220  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

and  whack  him  on  the  crown;  Injins  ain't 
got  up  in  that  style." 

Glancing  at  the  bent  figure  of  the  prisoner, 
the  scout  looked  over  the  faintly  illumined 
river.  The  Shawanoes  knew  that  one  of  their 
leaders  was  a  helpless  captive  on  the  flatboat, 
and  they  were  sure  to  try  some  scheme  for 
rescuing  or  helping  him  to  escape. 

Far  out  in  the  direction  of  the  Kentucky 
shore  the  glassy  surface  of  the  Ohio  showed 
a  widening  ripple  that  could  not  have  been 
caused  by  wind,  for  there  was  none  stirring. 
The  night  was  sultry,  rendering  sleej)  more 
comfortable  in  the  ojoen  air  than  in  the 
cabin. 

It  took  keen  study  to  detect  the  gentle  dis- 
turbance, but  almost  at  the  moment  it  came 
within  the  field  of  vision,  the  ranger  noted  it. 
He  knew"  it  meant  something.  It  may  be  said 
he  was  expecting  a  demonstration  of  that 
nature. 

He  did  not  change  his  own  posture,  but 
fixed  his  gaze  upon  the  ripples.  His  wood- 
craft prevented  his  neglecting  the  other  ap- 
proaches to  the  flatboat.     It  was  not  impos- 


THE  SIGNAL.  221 

sible*  that  this  was  a  diversion  designed  to  hold 
his  attention  while  the  real  peril  approached 
from  another  point. 

He  was  watching  for  the  appearance  of  a 
canoe,  but  quickly  perceived  that  whatever 
was  coming  was  in  the  river  itself 

*'  One  of  the  varmints  wants  to  take  a  look 
at  this  craft,"  was  the  conclusion  of  the  sen- 
tinel, on  the  alert  to  use  his  rifle.  He  meant 
to  send  a  bullet  through  the  brain  of  the 
enemy  the  moment  it  came  within  range, 
but  while  awaiting  the  second  to  do  so,  he  ob- 
served the  resemblance  of  the  front  to  that  of 
a  bear. 

This  might  well  be  and  still  belong  to  the 
head  of  an  Indian,  for,  as  the  reader  is  aware, 
a  favorite  practice  of  the  American  race  is  to 
deceive  a  foe  by  personating  animals  of  the 
forest. 

Whoever  was  swimming  from  the  Ken- 
tucky to  the  Ohio  shore  was  not  doing  it  in 
a  line  with  the  flatboat.  His  course  was  fifty 
feet  or  more  below  the  craft,  and  the  nearer 
the  object  approached  the  more  convinced 
became  Kenton  that  it  was  what  it  seemed. 


222  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

In  the  first  place,  that  which  he  saw  bore  a 
wonderful  resemblance  to  the  head  of  bruin, 
and  the  swimmer's  method  resembled  that  of 
the  brute. 

Again,  the  scout  could  not  figure  out  what 
was  to  be  gained  by  an  Indian  playing  the 
part  of  an  animal.  The  sentinel  was  certain 
to  penetrate  the  deception  before  the  war- 
rior could  climb  over  the  side  of  the  boat. 
Nevertheless,  Kenton  watched  with  the  ut- 
most closeness  every  movement  of  the  un- 
known. 

The  next  discovery  was  that  the  latter  was 
SAvimming  precisely  as  a  bear  swims.  If  it 
w^as  a  warrior  in  disguise,  the  counterfeit  was 
the  most  perfect  the  ranger  had  ever  seen. 

The  swimmer  did  not  change  his  course  un- 
til directly  below  the  boat.  Then,  for  the  first 
time,  he  seemed  to  observe  the  motionless 
craft.  His  progress  became  slower,  and  for  a 
moment  Kenton  was  certain  the  other  intended 
to  swim  straight  to  him. 

The  instant  a  move  was  made  in  that  di- 
rection all  doubt  of  the  other's  identity  would 
vanish. 


THE  SIGNAL.  223 

"  The  best  way  to  settle  this  thing  is  to  let 
him  have  it  between  the  eyes." 

He  felt  no  compunctions  about  solving  the 
problem  in  that  startling  manner.  The  long 
deadly  rifle  was  brought  to  the  shoulder,  and 
the  eye  was  ranging  along  the  barrel,  when 
the  weapon  was  abruptly  lowered  again. 

The  creature  in  the  water  had  given  a  sniff 
of  affright,  turned,  and  was  swimming  vigor- 
ously down  stream.  The  whole  was  done  so 
naturally  that  all  distrust  vanished  from  Ken- 
ton's mind ;  it  was  a  bear  after  all,  and  there 
was  no  call  to  waste  a  shot  on  him. 

The  scout  watched  the  head  of  the  brute 
until  he  was  lost  in  the  direction  of  the  Ohio 
shore.  The  animal  seemed  to  have  made  up 
his  mind  to  postpone  his  visit  to  Ohio  to  a 
less  dangerous  season. 

Kenton  stepped  softly  forward,  and  peeped 
at  The  Panther.  He  held  the  same  position 
with  bowed  head  and  extended  legs.  Any 
one  but  the  ranger  would  have  believed  him 
asleep ;  but,  as  already  stated,  Kenton  knew 
all  the  prisoner's  senses  were  at  command,  and 
he  was  liable  at  any  moment  to  attempt  some- 


224  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

thing  desperate,  bound  and  helpless  though  he 
seemed  to  be. 

Apparently,  only  one  thing  was  possible 
for  him  ;  that  was,  to  draw  his  feet  under  him 
and  fling  himself  over  the  gunwale  into  the 
water ;  but  his  recapture  could  be  effected 
with  so  little  trouble  that  the  efibrt  was  alto- 
gether improbable. 

"  I  can  foller  him  in  the  canoe  and  bring 
him  back ;  the  best  way,  howsumever,  would 
be  this,"  thought  Kenton,  compressing  his 
muscular  fingers  around  his  rifle  barrel ;  "a 
single  shot  would  wind  up  the  business  in  a 
style  that  wouldn't  leave  anything  to  be  done. 
I'll  do  it,  too." 

One  truth,  however,  was  not  to  be  lost  sight 
of  Girty  and  the  Shawanoes  that  had  fled 
to  the  Ohio  shore  knew  of  the  mishap  of  The 
Panther,  He  was  such  a  noted  and  important 
leader  of  that  warlike  tribe,  that  he  was  not 
likely  to  be  abandoned  to  his  fate  if  any  pos- 
sible way  should  present  itself  for  his  rescue. 

What  method  would  be  taken  to  effect  this 
was  the  problem  that  caused  much  specula- 
tion on  the  part  of  Kenton.     If  the  Indians 


THE  SIGNAL.  225 

could  gather  enough  warriors,  they  might 
venture  out  in  their  canoes  and  openly  attack 
the  flatboat ;  but  none  knew  better  than  they 
the  cost  of  such  an  attempt,  with  the  chances 
against  success.  Girty  was  aware  that,  be- 
sides the  peerless  scout,  three  men  were  on 
the  craft,  not  counting  Jethro  Juggens,  all  of 
whom  were  fully  armed,  and  would  fight  des- 
perately. In  so  advantageous  a  position  they 
could  beat  off  ten  times  their  number,  who 
were  certain  to  suffer  great  loss.  It  was  quite 
reasonable,  therefore,  to  conclude  that  if  no 
other  way  appeared  for  rescuing  The  Pan- 
ther he  would  be  abandoned  to  his  fate. 

But  were  the  Shawanoes  helpless,  so  far 
as  the  recapture  of  their  leader  was  concerned  ? 
Could  they  not  bring  their  cunning  into  play 
and  outwit  the  whites  without  too  great  risk 
to  themselves  ? 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  with  the  majority 
of  frontiersmen,  the  Gordian  knot  would 
have  been  cut  in  the  most  expeditious  and 
straightforward  fashion,  by  placing  the  pris- 
oner beyond  the  possibility  of  rescue  by 
any  one.      Furthermore,  most   frontiersmen 

15 


226  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

would  have  scoffed  at  Kenton  for  his  tender- 
ness. 

Looking  up  the  river,  where  the  surface 
faintly  shone  in  the  pale  moonlight,  the  sen- 
tinel detected  a  faint,  shadowy  object,  hover- 
ing, as  may  be  said,  on  the  line  of  invisi- 
bility. It  was  so  dimly  seen  that  he  could 
not  identify  it,  though  he  suspected  its  nature. 
Turning  to  the  right,  so  as  not  to  pass  near 
the  captive,  he  walked  softly  to  the  stern, 
where  most  of  the  sleepers  lay,  in  order  to 
gain  a  better  view. 

It  was  an  Indian  canoe  with  several  occu- 
pants." They  were  the  friends  of  The  Pan- 
ther, and  were  reconnoitring.  If  they  could 
find  any  way  to  help  him  they  would  seize 
it ;  but,  remembering  that  if  they  could  dis- 
tinguish any  one  on  the  flatboat,  that  one 
could  see  them,  they  hesitated  to  approach 
nearer  before  learning  how  matters  stood. 

It  might  be  that  the  pioneers,  in  their  fan- 
cied security,  would  partially  relax  their  vigi- 
lance ;  if  so,  they  would  be  made  to  pay  dearly 
for  it. 

All   at   once    a   faint,    tremulous   whistle. 


THE  SIGNAL.  227 

barely  audible,  came  across  the  water  from  the 
cauoe.  Kenton  glanced  at  the  prisoner,  who 
started  and  raised  his  head.  The  movement 
was  slight  but  unmistakable. 

The  meaning  was  clear  to  Kenton,  who  re- 
flected : 

"  The  varmints  are  signaling  to  The  Pan- 
ther, and  he  knows  it." 


228  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CONSULTATIOlSr   AND    COUNSEL. 

THERE  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  soft, 
almost  inaudible  call  which  came  from 
the  canoe,  hovering  above  the  flatboat,  was  in- 
tended for  the  ears  of  The  Panther,  whose  ac- 
tions showed  that  he  heard  and  understood 
the  signal. 

"  I  wonder  if  the  varmint  will  answer," 
muttered  the  watchful  Kenton,  still  hold- 
ing his  place  at  the  stern,  but  acting  as 
though  he  did  not  know  what  was  going 
on.  "  If  he  does,  he's  a  bigger  fool  than  I 
think." 

The  chieftain  made  no  response.  To  have 
done  so  would  have  been  playing  into  the 
hands  of  the  sentinel,  who  The  Panther  may- 
have  thought  did  not,  as  yet,  comprehend  the 
full  meaning  of  what  had  taken  place.  He 
dared   attempt   no   communication   with   his 


CONSULTATION  AND  COUNSEL.  229 

friends,  ready,  but  hesitating  as  to  the  right 
means  of  aiding  him.  He  could  only  await 
their  further  action. 

AVhat  complication  might  have  arisen,  it  is 
imj^ossible  to  conjecture,  but  Kenton  ended 
the  business  by  raising  his  rifle,  aiming  as 
best  he  could  in  the  dim  moonlight,  and  let- 
ting fly. 

More  than  that,  he  hit  something,  as  was 
proven  by  a  half-suppressed  cry,  the  confu- 
sion, and  the  abrupt  paddling  away  of  the 
boat. 

''There!"  he  said  to  himself,  walking  to- 
ward the  bow,  "  I'm  mistook  if  that  partic'lar 
boatload  of  varmints  bothers  me  any  more  to- 
night." 

Nothing  proved  how  strikingly  a  person 
can  become  accustomed  to  danger  than  the 
fact  that  only  one  of  the  sleepers — and  he 
the  heaviest — was  awakened  by  the  sharp 
report  of  the  weapon.  Jethro  Juggens,  who 
was  half  unconscious  at  the  moment  of 
discharge — for  the  interruption  already  suf- 
fered made  him  restless — crept  from  between 
the  boxes  furtherest  from  The  Panther,  and 


230  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

intercepted  the  scout  on  his  way  to  the  front 
of  the  boat. 

"  Am  any  body  hurt,  Mr.  Kenton  ?"  he 
asked,  before  rising  from  his  hands  and 
knees. 

"  Nobody  is  hurt  on  this  craft,"  was  the  re- 
assuring rejDly  ;  "  you  needn't  be  scared." 

"Oh,  I  isn't  scared ;  don't  worry  'bout  me; 
but  do  yo'  know  what  I  tinks?" 

Jethro  followed  the  scout,  and  sat  down 
near  him. 

"No,"  replied  Kenton,  kindly  disposed 
toward  the  youth,  who  was  honest,  good- 
natured  and  deeply  attached  to  every  one  on 
the  boat. 

"  Dat  Panther  am  up  to  mischief;  I  knows 
it." 

"  Them  sort  of  varmints  always  are, 
younker." 

"Yo'  know  de  low  down  trick  he  tried 
on  to  me ;  de  idee  ob  steppin'  into  my  mouf 
when  I  war  sleepin'  as  quiet  as  a  baby  !  No- 
body but  a  heathen  would  tink  ob  dat ;  he's 
gettin'  ready  to  do  de  same  ting  again  when 
yo'  war  kind  'nougli  to  fire  off  dat  gun  so's 


CONSULTATION  AND  COUNSEL.  231 

to  wake  me;  much  obleeged,  Mr.  Kenton,  for 
gibin'  me  notice." 

"  I  don't  see  how  the  varmint  could  do  as 
you  say  when  his  feet  are  tied  together,"  sug- 
gested Kenton. 

"  What  diff'rence  does  dat  make  ?  He 
would  put  bofe  feet  into  my  mouf ;  dat's  what 
makes  me  b'il  wid  anger." 

"  I  didn't  think  he  could  do  that  without 
trouble,  but  I  had  an  eye  on  him,  and  wouldn't 
let  him  treat  you  as  bad  as  that,  Jethro," 
added  the  scout,  gravely.  "  You  never  heard 
of  The  Panther  afore  to-night  ?" 

"  No ;  I  war  neber  introduced  to  him 
afore." 

"  Wal,  as  I  told  you,  he's  one  of  the  worst 
Injins  that  ever  tramped  through  Kaintuck 
and  Ohio." 

"  He  showed  dat  by  de  trick  he  tried  onto 
me.  Any  Injun  dat  crams  his  foot  into  a 
gemman's  mouf  ain't  no  gemman." 

"  He  would  have  treated  you  a  great  deal 
worse  if  he  had  had  the  chance ;  it^s  a  wonder 
he  didn't  knife  you." 

"What's  de  diff'rence?     De  knife  would 


232  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

liab  killed  me,  but  if  he'd  got  his  feet  down 
my  throat  dey  would  hab  strangled  me,  so  it 
all  'mounts  to  de  same.  I'm  suah  de  Panther 
ain't  no  gemman." 

"  He  has  killed  a  good  many  white  people 
without  cause ;  he  has  laid  down  in  the 
bushes,  or  hid  behind  a  tree,  and  shot  the 
baby  in  its  mother's  arms,  and  then  scalped 
the  mother  and  the  other  children." 

"  I  wish  I'd  known  dat  when  I  war  wrast- 
liu'  wid  him,"  exclaimed  Jethro,  glaring  in 
the  direction  of  the  prisoner.  "  I  would  have 
frowed  him  down  so  hard  he  would  have  gone 
frough  de  bottom  ob  de  boat." 

"  I  wish  you  had  broken  his  neck,  for  then 
we  would  have  been  free  of  him ;  but  he's 
with  us  still,  aud  the  question  is  what  shall 
we  do  with  him  ?" 

"  Would  yo'  like  me  to  tell  you  ?" 

''  Yes." 

"  Disflumraixcate  him." 
"  What  the  mischief  do  you  mean  by  that?" 
asked  the  amused  Kenton.     "  I  never  heard 
of  anything  of  that  kind." 

"  Yo's  awah,  Mr.  Kenton,  dat  some  folks 


CONSULTATION  AND  COUNSEL.  233 

ain't  SO  bigly  eddicated  as  others.  To  dis- 
flummixcate  a  person  am  to  tie  his  left  leg  to 
his  right  hand,  takin'  keer  dat  de  foot  am  so 
elewated  dat  it  am  in  front  ob  his  face  all  de 
time.  When  he  goes  out  trabelin'  he  has  to 
hop  round  on  one  foot,  and  bein'  as  he  can 
use  only  one  hand,  he  can't  handle  a  gun 
berry  well.  When  a  man  am  disflummix- 
cated,  why  a  child  needn't  be  afraid  of  him." 

"  I  should  think  not,  but  suppose  The 
Panther,  after  being  fixed  up  in  that  style, 
should  get  his  hand  and  leg  loose,  or  his 
friends  should  loose  them  for  him,  what 
then  ?" 

"  I  ought  to  have  explanified  dat  you  liab 
to  keep  de  chap  dat's  disflummixcated  on  his 
back  for  free,  four  weeks ;  by  de  end  ob  dat 
time  his  leg  and  hand  will  be  growed  togeder, 
and  den  dar  he  am  !" 

"  We  might  try  it,"  replied  Kenton,  with  all 
gravity.  "  If  it  warn't  for  what  you  say 
about  having  to  keep  him  in  one  place  so 
long ;  we'll  be  down  to  the  clearing  to-morrer, 
and  start  to  put  up  a  cabin  for  the  Altmans. 
What  would  you  do  with  The  Panther  for 


234  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  few  weeks  that  it  would  take  his  foot  to 
grow  fast  to  his  hand  ?" 

"Dat's  fixed  easy  'nough  ;  just  shove  him 
under  de  house  and  let  him  lay  dar." 

"  I'd  think  it  over,  younker,  but  I'm  afeared 
it  won't  work  with  The  Panther,  'cause  he'll 
be  apt  to  kick  himself  loose.  Where  did  you 
get  the  idee,  younker  ?" 

"  Right  dar,"  replied  Jethro,  solemnly  tap- 
ping his  forehead ;  "  dar's  whar  many  ob  de 
big  idees  ob  de  kentry  comes  from.  Didn't  I 
handle  dat  heathen  in  style,  Mr.  Kenton, 
when  I  grabbed  him?" 

"  No  one  can  deny  that  you  done  all  that, 
younker." 

"  And  I  didn't  hab  my  gun  nor  knife  nor 
anything,  nuflQn  but  dem  big  arms ;  dey're 
what  done  it." 

"  That's  true,  younker." 

"  I've  been  tinkin'  dat  instid  ob  my  wastin' 
time  helpin'  to  build  de  house,  cut  down  trees, 
hoe  de  ground,  and  do  sich  nonsense,  dat  I 
can  use  de  days  to  better  disumwantage  for 
de  folks." 

"How?" 


CONSULTATION  AND  COUNSEL.  235 

"Keepiii'  off  de  Injins." 

"How  will  you  do  that?" 

"  Jes'  loaf  trough  de  woods,  on  the  lookout 
for  'em ;  when  I  catches  sight  ob  one  I'll 
grab  him  round  de  waist  and  frow  him  down 
so  hard  I'll  broke  his  back.  What  do  you 
tink  ob  de  idee,  Mr.  Kenton  ?" 

The  scout  looked  questioningly  at  Jethro 
Juggens,  asking  himself  whether  this  absurd 
talk  was  earnest  on  the  part  of  the  African. 
Kenton  did  not  understand  his  race  as  well 
as  he  did  the  American,  and  he  suspected 
the  fellow  meant  all  he  said.  His  singu- 
lar success  in  subduing  one  of  the  most 
terrible  of  the  Shawanoes  had  evidently  in- 
flated Jethro  with  an  estimate  of  his  own 
prowess. 

It  would  never  do  for  him  to  nourish  this 
decejDtion,  for  he  was  likely  to  bring  disaster 
not  only  upon  himself,  but  upon  the  rest. 

"  Younker,"  said  Kenton,  in  a  voice  whose 
earnestness  could  not  be  doubted,  "  you  struck 
it  so  lucky  in  your  first  wrestling  bout  with 
one  of  the  varmints  that  you've  got  things 
mixed  in  that  noddle  of  yours." 


236  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Jethro  looked  up  at  tlie  scout  as  though  he 
did  not  catch  his  meaning. 

"  I  believe  you  have  a  gun  and  know  how 
to  use  it  ?" 

"  Dat  am  de  truf." 

"  Wal,  stick  to  your  gun  ;  keep  out  of  the 
way  of  the  varmints  as  long  as  you  can,  and 
leave  it  to  us  to  tend  to  'em.  Your  bus'ness  is 
to  work  for  your  master." 

"  But,  Mr.  Kenton,  de  work  don't  agree 
wid  me;  it  allers  makes  me  feel  bad." 

"Not  half  as  bad  as  an  Injin  would  make 
you  feel  if  you  got  into  a  scrimmage  with 
him  when  he  had  half  a  chance  at  you." 

"  Didn't  I  handle  dat  heathen  ober  dar 
'bout  right  ?" 

"  You  must  forget  about  him.  As  I  said, 
you  happened  to  get  him  foul,  and  was  strong 
enough  to  hold  him  there.  You  couldn't  do 
it  again  in  a  thousand  times." 

"Gib  me  a  chance  and  I'll  show  you,"  was 
the  confident  declaration  of  Jethro. 

"  I  tell  you,  younker,"  said  Kenton,  a  trifle 
impatient,  "  you  don't  know  any  more  'bout 
fighting  the  varmints  than  the  gal  Agnes  does. 


CONSULTATION  AND  COUNSEL.  237 

What  she  done  was  ten  times  braver  than  what 
you  done.  Don't  try  any  of  your  plans,  for  if 
you  do,  it  will  be  the  last  of  you,  and  will 
play  the  dickens  with  the  rest  of  us." 

"  Yo'  don't  know^  what  my  plans  am,  Mr. 
Kenton  ;  dey're  mighty  hefty." 

*'  Mighty  tomfoolery,  and  nothing  else  !  I 
don't  know  what  they  are,  but  I  warn  you 
not  to  try  any  of  them  in  this  part  of  the 
country." 

"  Whar  will  I  try  'em,  den  ?" 

"Nowhere;  they  won't  do;  don't  forgit 
what  I  tell  you," 

Jethro  was  silent.  It  was  evident  that  the 
scout  had  knocked  some  of  his  cherished 
schemes  in  the  head,  and  he  felt  it. 

"Do  you  want  to  make  yourself  of  some 
use?"  asked  Kenton,  after  a  brief  silence. 

"I  am  allers  ready  to  do  what  I  can  for  de 
folks." 

"  Pull  up  the  anchor." 

"Why,  dat  will  let  de  boat  float  off!" 

"  Which  is  what  I  want.  What  other  rea- 
son could  I  have  for  having  the  anchor 
pulled  up  ?" 


238  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  I  didn't  know  but  what  yo'  wanted  me 
to  drop  it  onto  de  head  ob  dat  heathen,  jes'  to 
wake  him  up.  I  tought  yo'  meant  to  wait 
till  raornin'." 

"Morning  isn't  fur  off;  if  we  drift  a  few 
miles  we'll  arrive  at  the  clearing  afore  day- 
light, and  then  you  can  pitch  in  and  go  to 
work." 

"  Dat's  what  I  war  afeared  of,"  remarked 
Jethro,  as  he  slouched  along  the  side  of 
the  boat.  He  was  obliged  to  pass  near  the 
motionless  figure  of  The  Panther,  who  slightly 
raised  his  head  as  he  approached,  as  if  sus- 
pecting the  fellow  intended  him  harm. 

"  Yo'  needn't  look  at  me  dat  way,"  said 
Jethro,  warniugly ;  "  yo'  orter  larned  some 
sense  from  de  way  I  slammed  yo'  on  de  bot- 
tom ob  de  boat.  Do  yo'  want  anything 
more  from  me?"  he  demanded,  glaring  down 
at  the  prisoner,  while  Kenton  amusedly 
watched  the  scene. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Shawanoe  had  maintained 
a  dignified  silence  thus  far,  it  was  not  to  be 
supposed  he  would  break  it  now,  even  though 
he  possessed  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  words 


CONSULTATIOX  AXD  COUNSEL.  239 

addressed  to  him.  ISTevertheless,  lie  fixed  bis 
glittering  eyes  on  the  countenance  of  Jethro, 
and  seemed  to  "  look  him  through." 

"  Obseuse  me ;  I  forgot  dat  yo'  ain't  eddi- 
cated  well  'nough  to  talk  wid  gemmen,  but 
you've  larned  more  dan  yo'  knowed  awhile 
ago." 

And  with  this  observation  Jethro  Juggens 
stepped  to  where  the  taut  rope  ran  over  the 
gunwale,  and  slowly  jDulled  up  the  heavy 
stone  that  had  held  the  flatboat  motionless  so 
long.  The'bulky  craft  began  slowly  moving 
with  the  current,  which  was  quite  moderate, 
even  though  they  were  near  the  middle  of  the 
river. 

"  We  haven't  far  to  go,"  remarked  Kenton, 
as  the  African  resumed  his  place  beside  him, 
"and  when  the  folks  open  their  eyes  agin 
they'll  be  s'prised." 


240  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A    FAIR    WAEXING. 

"VTOW  that  the  flatboat  had  resumed  its 
_^  1  eventful  voyage  down  the  Ohio,  Simon 
Kenton  found  himself  confronted  by  two 
grave  problems. 

The  first  concerned  the  whole  party,  for 
whom  he  was  acting  as  guide.  The  sudden 
and  virulent  hostility  of  the  Indians  left  no 
doubt  that  a  serious  mistake  was  made  by 
Norman  Ashbridge  and  Thomas  Altman 
when  they  failed  to  tie  up  at  the  block- 
house and  wait  until  matters  became  set- 
tled before  going  to  their  new  home  at  the 
clearing. 

The  reports  brought  in  by  other  rangers, 
as  well  as  the  knowledge  gained  by  Kenton, 
made  clear  the  increasing  activity  among  the 
various  tribes.  They  were  preparing  to  take 
the  war  trail. 


A  FAIE  WAENING.  241 

In  fact,  tliey  had  already  done  so,  and  the 
situation  of  the  little  party  in  the  single  cabin 
or  in  both,  if  given  time  to  erect  a  second 
structure,  was  likely  to  become  perilous  to 
the  last  degree.  Beset  by  the  hostiles  on 
all  sides,  nothing  could  save  them  from  de- 
struction. 

The  different  conflicts  had  intensified  their 
hatred  of  the  white  men.  They  had  lost 
several  warriors,  and  their  chief,  the  dreaded 
Panther,  was  a  prisoner  in  their  hands  at  that 
very  moment. 

"  Yes,"  thought  the  scout,  who  gave  no 
further  attention  to  the  silent  Jethro,  whose 
head  was  beginning  to  nod  with  drowsiness. 
"  It  was  a  big  blunder  they  made  in  not 
stopi^ing  with  Capt.  Bushwick  at  the  block- 
house ;  but  what's  the  use  of  thinking  of  that, 
bein'  as  they  didn't  do  it,  and  are  getting  fur- 
ther away  every  minute  ?  We've  got  to  face 
the  futu'." 

A  part  of  his  plan  has  already  been  ex- 
plained. It  was  to  allow  the  craft  to  drift 
with  the  current,  and,  if  they  arrived  off  the 
clearing  before  daylight,  to  anchor  and  wait 

16 


242  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

till  the  sun  rose  before  doing  anything  fur- 
ther. No  landing  would  be  made  until  after 
a  full  reconnoissance.  If  everything  looked 
well,  they  would  go  ashore,  establish  them- 
selves in  a  single  cabin,  and  begin  the  build- 
ing of  anothero 

If  the  outlook  was  threatening,  and  he 
was  quite  certain  it  would  prove  so,  the  worst 
course  possible  would  be  to  land,  for  then 
they  would  enter  a  trap  from  which  they 
could  not  extricate  themselves.  The  Indians 
would  speedily  gather  a  strong  force,  sur- 
round the  cabin,  and  hem  in  the  pioneers 
beyond  possibility  of  escape. 

The  reader  has  noted  the  alarming  contin- 
gency that  threatened;  the  whites,  in  the 
event  of  not  landing,  must  become  virtual 
prisoners  on  the  flatboat  itself.  They  could 
float  down,  but  not  up  stream.  The  only  way 
of  reaching  the  block-house  would  be  by 
going  ashore  secretly  at  night  and  hurrying 
thither  through  the  woods. 

It  is  hard  to  conceive  a  more  perilous  ven- 
ture than  this  must  prove,  inasmuch  as  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  hide  the  move- 


A  FAIR  WARNING.  243 

ment  from  the  liostiles,  who  woukl  have  them 
at  fatal  disadvantage  in  the  shadowy  depths 
of  the  forest. 

This  was  the  question  which  Kenton  turned 
over  in  his  mind,  and  which  caused  him  to 
doubt  whether  he  was  doing  right  even  in 
letting  the  flatboat  drift  the  few  remaining 
miles,  for  he  was  continually  increasing  the 
distance  between  his  friends  and  safety.  They 
had  set  their  hearts  on  going  to  the  clear- 
ing, however,  and  there  remained  the  faint 
prospect  that  the  gathering  storm  among  the 
Indians  might  pass  without  the  lightning 
strikinsT  ao;ain.  He  decided  to  continue  the 
voyage. 

The  scout  naturally  sought  to  discount  the 
future.  In  other  words,  he  had  calculated 
upon  certain  events  occurring — with  the  gen- 
eral result  that  nothing  of  the  kind  took 
place.  It  was  useless,  therefore,  to  figure  and 
speculate.  The  true  course  was  to  hold  him- 
self ready  for  whatever  came. 

The  second  problem  that  puzzled  him  was, 
as  to  the  best  disposition  to  make  of  The  Pan- 
ther.    It  has  already  been  shown  that  Ken- 


244  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

ton  could  do  liim  no  harm  so  long  as  lie  re- 
mained his  prisoner.  They  must  meet  in 
the  woods  or  somewhere  on  an  equal  footing. 
Could  he  have  secured  such  an  interview  the 
day  before,  near  the  spring,  he  would  have 
seized  it  at  as  one  of  the  pleasures  of  his  life. 
Now,  we  doubt  not  that  a  certain  line  of 
procedure  has  suggested  itself  to  more  than 
one  reader  of  this  tale :  Why  not  display 
magnanimity  toward  the  dusky  chieftain  ? 

Why  not  cut  his  bonds  as  Agnes  had  done, 
and  let  him  go  "free  ?  The  act  might  be  ac- 
companied by  a  lofty  speech,  in  which  the 
white  man  assured  the  grateful  captive  that 
he  scorned  to  take  advantage  of  so  brave  a 
man,  and  was  thinking  chiefly  of  his  pap- 
pooses  and  squaw. 

Could  The  Panther  fail  to  respond  ?  Would 
he  not  become  the  friend  forever  of  the  pale- 
face ?  Would  he  not  devote  his  life  to  help- 
ing him  out  of  trouble  and  strive  to  undo  the 
evil  he  had  wrought  against  them  ? 

Alas !  that  truth  compels  a  negative  answer 
to  all  thescqueries.  Instead  of  expanding  with 
gratitude,  the  Shawanoe  would  pronounce  the 


A  FAIE  WAENIXG.  245 

scout  a  zany,  and  lose  no  time  in  cloins:  his 
utmost  to  secure  Ms  scalp,  and  to  slay  every 
one  on  the  flatboat.  Should  Kenton  loose 
the  captive  and  place  a  rifle  in  his  hands,  the 
miscreant  would  accept  the  boon,  take  himself 
off,  and  then,  if  the  chance  was  a  good  one, 
wheel  and  drive  a  bullet  through  the  heart 
of  his  chivalrous  conqueror. 

It  would  seem  that  it  ought  to  be  feasible 
for  Kenton  to  hold  The  Panther  as  a  hostage 
for  the  safety  of  those  on  the  flatboat.  Such 
a  task  would  be  comparatively  easy  if  he  were 
manoeuvring  against  a  foe  with  a  faint  idea 
of  the  obligations  of  honor ;  but  the  necessity 
of  being  compelled  at  some  stage  of  the  pro- 
ceedings to  trust  the  Shawanoes  was  the  un- 
surmountable  obstacle  to  the  scheme. 

But  the  ranger  did  not  abandon  the  hoj)e 
of  making  The  Panther  more  useful  to  the 
whites  than  he  had  ever  been  in  the  past. 

The  flatboat  was  drifting  so  near  the  middle 
of  the  stream  that  there  was  no  necessity  of 
using  the  sweeps.  A  scrutiny  of  the  shores 
and  all  the  visible  portion  of  the  river  re- 
vealed no  sign  of  enemies.     Jethro  Juo-o-eus 


246  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

had  toj^jDled  over  and  was  as  profoundly  un- 
conscious of  the  outer  world  as  were  those  in 
the  cabin. 

Kenton  and  The  Panther  were  the  only 
ones  awake.  The  former  took  a  few  steps 
necessary  to  place  him  near  the  captive,  where 
he  seated  himself  on  the  box  immediately  in 
front  of  him. 

"  Wa-on-mon,"  said  he,  in  Shawanoe, 
"  you're  my  prisoner ;  your  people  don't  take 
prisoners,  and  I've  treated  you  better  than 
you  deserve." 

The  Panther  looked  defiantly  up  in  the 
face  of  the  white  man. 

"Wa-on-mon  is  not  afraid  to  die." 

"  Mebbe  that's  so,  but  you  ain't  going  to 
die  just  yet.  'Spose  I  let  you  go — how  will 
you  act  toward  the  palefaces  ?" 

"  Kill  all  I  can,"  was  the  fierce  response. 

"Wall,  I'll  give  you  credit  for  speaking 
with  a  single  tongue,  which  is  a  powerful 
sight  more  than  most  of  your  kind  do ;  so  I 
won't  cut  them  ropes  and  let  you  swim 
ashore." 

"  Wa-on-mon  not   afraid  to  die,"  repeated 


A  FAIR  WARNING.  247 

the  cliieftain,  with  more  defiance,  if  j^ossible, 
than  before. 

*'  Having  made  that  remark  just  now,  there 
ain't  no  necessity  of  harping  on  the  same. 
We'll  agree  you  ain't  afeard  to  die;  I  feel 
that  way  myself  now  and  then,  though  I'm 
not  hankering  to  go  under  till  the  good  Lord 
calls  me.  I  'spose  you  fancy  that  you  won't 
get  your  last  sickness  till  they  run  short  of 
angels  up  above.  But  since  you  told  the 
truth  sort  of  accidentally  just  like  now,  do 
you  think  you  kin  indulge  in  a  little  more  of 
the  same  luxury  ?" 

Kenton  had  unconsciously  dropped  into  a 
mixture  of  Shawanoe  and  English,  and  his 
question  was  beyond  the  comprehension  of 
The  Panther.  The  scout,  therefore,  became 
more  explicit. 

"  You  spoke  the  truth  a  minute  ago ;  will 
you  use  a  single  tongue  in  a  few  more  answers 
to  my  questions  ?" 

"  Wa-on-mon  always  speaks  with  a  single 
tongue." 

*'  I'm  sorry  you  said  that,  for  it's  the  big- 
gest lie  you  ever  told,  and  no  one  knows  it 


248  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

better  than  yon.  But  let  it  go.  Have  the 
Shawanoes  made  up  their  niinds  to  go  on  the 
warpath  ?" 

"  The  Shawanoes  have  dug  up  the  hatchet," 
was  the  proud  answer ;  "  they  have  gone  on 
the  warpath ;  tlie  Wyandots  have  dug  up  the 
hatchet ;  the  Pottawatomies  have  dug  up  the 
hatchet ;  the  Hurons  have  dug  up  the  hatchet ; 
the  Delawares — " 

"That'll  do,"  broke  in  Kenton,  "you've 
flung  up  enough  hatchets  to  keep  things 
moving;  we'll  have  to  larn  you  to  behave 
yourselves.  We've  done  it  once  or  tAvice,  but 
you  forget  tbe  lesson  too  soon." 

"  All  the  red  men  have  dug  up  the  hatchet," 
continued  The  Panther,  with  a  fearless  defi- 
ance which  caused  him  to  forget  his  own 
helpless  plight ;  "  they  will  drive  all  the 
palefaces  into  the  sea." 

"  Hardly  any  need  of  that,"  was  the  com- 
ment of  Kenton  ;  *'  the  Ohio  is  big  enough  to 
drown  'em  in,  that  is,  if  you  kin  get  hold  of 
'em  all  and  hold  'em  under  the  water  long 
enough.  I  take  it,  then,  you  mean  to  keep 
things  moving  in  these  parts." 


A  FAIR  WARNING.  249 

"The  red  men  Lave  joined  together;  none 
of  them  fight  each  other ;  the  Great  Spirit  has 
whispered  in  their  ears ;  they  will  do  His  will ; 
they  did  not  do  it  before  when  they  let  the 
palefaces  come  upon  tlieir  hunting  grounds." 

"  It  looks  as  if  they  didn't.  That  would 
have  been  the  time  to  take  the  palefaces  by 
the  nape  of  their  necks  and  their  trousers  and 
flino;  'em  into  the  sea:  that  is,  while  they  was 
wading  ashore.  Some  of  'em  have  got  so  far 
from  the  sea  that  it'll  make  your  people  tired 
to  carry  'em  back  to  it." 

It  was  a  curious  contrast  of  moods  in  the 
two  men  holding  this  converse  on  the  flat- 
boat,  floating  silently  down  the  Ohio.  One 
was  savage,  filled  with  consuming  hate,  defiant 
and  fearless,  a  chained  tiger;  the  other  was 
cool,  good  tempered,  facetious,  philosophical 
and  taunting  in  his  peculiar  badinage. 

Kenton  knew  The  Panther  was  speaking 
with  a  *' single  tongue,"  and  he  did  not  mean 
to  gratify  him  by  showing  any  fear  because 
of  his  words.  The  American  Indian,  though 
in  many  respects  a  coward,  despises  timidity 
in  others,  besides  which  it  need  not  be  repeated 


250  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

that  Simon  Keuton  was  one  of  the  bravest 
men  that  ever  lived. 

"  Have  you  any  idea  where  Girty  and  the 
rest  of  the  Shawanoes  are  ?" 

It  was  a  singular  question  to  put  to  the 
captive,  but  the  scout  was  leading  up  to  some- 
thing else. 

"They  are  all  over,"  was  the  instant  re- 
sponse. "  They  are  in  the  woods  like  the 
leaves  on  the  trees;  they  are  on  the  water 
like  the  drops  that  fall  from  the  clouds ;  they 
leap  through  the  air  like  the  birds." 

"I  allers  knowed  Sime  Girty  was  rather 
promiscus,  but  I  never  knowed  he  was  quite 
up  to  all  that.  It's  true,  Wa-on-mon,  that 
there'are  more  of  you  varmints  than  is  allers 
pleasant,  but  it  isn't  wise  for  you  to  forget 
that  there  are  a  few  palefaces,  too,  in  the 
woods  and  along  the  river.  They  may  not  be 
very  good  at  jumping  through  the  air,  like 
the  birds  that  fly,  but  now  and  then  when 
we  draw  bead  on  a  Shawanoe  or  some  other 
varmint  they  make  them  do  the  jumping." 

The  ranger  looked  down  in  the  painted 
face  and  grimly  smiled.     The  Panther  made 


A  FAIR  WARNING.  251 

no  answer ;  perhaps  he  could  think  of  no 
suitable  one  to  make. 

*'  I've  been  wondering,  Wa-on-mon,  whether 
you've  got  the  idea  into  your  head  that  I'm 
going  to  turn  you  loose.  There,  hold  on  !" 
added  Kenton,  with  a  deprecatory  wave  of  his 
hand,  "  don't  tell  me  you're  not  afeard  to  die. 
I'm  gradderly  working  toward  the  p'int  I 
have  in  mind.  S'pose  I  trade  you  on  con- 
dition that  you  folks  don't  bother  any  of  the 
pale-faces  ?" 

"  Wa-on-mon  speaks  with  a  single  tongue, 
he  will  do  as  his  brother  wishes." 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it.  I  won't 
trust  you,  but  I  will  keep  you  with  us  and  let 
your  folks  know  that  the  first  one  of  the  pale- 
faces they  hurt  I  will  kill  you." 

"  They  know  Wa-on-mon  is  not  afraid  to 
die,"  repeated  the  chieftain,  with  a  return  of 
his  old  fury  of  manner. 

"  Very  well ;  we'll  give  you  a  chance  to 
prove  it,"  quietly  remarked  Kenton  ;  "  you've 
had  fair  warning  ;  if  you  lose  your  scalp  the 
blame  will  be  shifted  from  my  shoulders  to 
them  of  your  own  people." 


252  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

AlSr    ALAEMING    DISCOVERY. 

WHILE  Kenton  was  exchanging  words 
with  The  Panther,  the  flatboat  drifted 
slowly  down  stream  toward  its  destination, 
now  at  hand.  When  the  last  words  were  ut- 
tered, the  scout  noticed  that  the  craft  had 
gradually  turned  partly  sideways  instead  of 
being  "  bow  on,"  as  it  should  be.  Two  or 
three  sweeps  of  one  of  the  long  paddles 
straightened  matters. 

There  was  no  call  to  say  anything  more  to 
the  Shawanoe,  who  acted  as  though  he  con- 
sidered the  interview  at  an  end.  He  resumed 
his  old  attitude,  with  his  head  bowed,  grim, 
stoical  and  defiant,  and  looking  upon  the  im- 
mediate future  as  though  it  contained  naught 
of  moment  to  him. 

The  ranger  resumed  his  place  at  the  prow 
and  swept  with  his  keen  vision  the  surround- 


AX  ALAEMIXG  DISCOVEEY.  253 

ing  river  and  forest.  He  bat!  not  forgotten 
that  duty  while  talking  with  his  prisoner. 
Nothing  to  cause  misgiving  caught  his  eye, 
and  he  feared  no  immediate  danger  to  his 
friends. 

The  moonlight  showed  a  growing  change. 
A  gray,  ashen  color  rapidly  overspread  the 
river,  and  revealed  the  tree-tops  on  both 
shores.  Soon  a  rosy  tinge  appeared  in  the 
east.  The  night  had  ended  and  day  was 
breaking. 

Kenton  was  closely  scrutinizing  the  Ken- 
tucky shore.  In  the  spreading  light  he 
identified  every  jooint  with  the  accuracy  of  a 
professional  pilot.  Just  beyond  a  slight 
turn  in  the  river — not  enough  to  hide  the 
view — he  caught  sight  of  the  clearing  which 
was  the  destination  of  the  flatboat  and  its 
passengers. 

Norman  Ashbridge  and  his  son  George  had 
wrought  hard  during  the  few  months  spent 
in  this  lonely  section,  A  part  of  the  open 
space,  whereon  the  cabin  stood,  had  been 
made  by  nature. 

This  was,  perhaps,  half  an  acre  in  extent, 


254  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

and  first  drew  attention  to  the  spot.  About 
the  same  extent  of  forest  had  been  cleared 
by  their  lusty  arms  and  keen  axes.  The 
stumps  showed,  but  little  of  the  lumber 
was  left.  On  the  three  sides  stretched  the 
wilderness,  and  in  front  swept  the  beautiful 
Ohio. 

No  part  of  the  clearing  was  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  the  most  interesting  sight  on  which 
the  eyes  of  Kenton  rested  was  the  cabin  that 
had  been  built  by  father  and  son,  and  of  which 
he  had  heard  much  since  young  Ashbridge 
joined  him. 

It  stood  near  the  middle  of  the  023en  space 
and  perhaps  one  hundred  feet  from  the  river, 
at  the  foot  of  the  sloping  bank.  When  the 
pioneers,  with  the  help  of  the  few  implements 
brought  with  them,  erected  the  home  in  the 
Kentucky  wilderness,  they  did  so  with  pru- 
dence and  wisdom.  There  was  no  seeking 
after  comeliness.  Strength,  durability  and 
safety  were  the  considerations  that  guided 
them. 

The  cabin  was  composed  entirely  of  logs, 
dovetailed   at   the   corners   in    the   strongest 


AN  ALARMING  DISCOVERY.  255 

possible  manner.  The  skill  with  which  this 
was  done  showed  that  one  pair  of  hands,  at 
least,  were  gifted  with  remarkable  deftness. 
The  logs,  instead  of  resting  upon  one  an- 
other, W'itli  gaping  crevices  between  to  be 
filled  in  with  clay,  had  been  smoothed  off  suf- 
ficiently above  and  below  to  make  them  join 
closely,  and  with  much  of  their  surface  in 
close  contact. 

This  increased  the  strength  of  the  frame- 
work, besides  rendering  it  more  secure  against 
attack  by  an  enemy. 

The  structure  was  perhaps  twenty  by  thirty 
feet.  It  had  no  extensions,  so  it  lacked  that 
break  in  the  dovetailing  of  the  logs  which 
would  have  been  the  case  had  it  possessed  an- 
nexes. The  chimney  was  of  stone,  and  ex- 
tended from  a  w^ide  base  at  the  ground  to  a 
narrowing  termination  several  feet  above  the 
roof.  It  was  wholly  outside  of  the  building, 
many  of  the  heavy  stones  of  which  it  was 
composed  attesting  the  toil  and  industry  of 
the  builders. 

In  the  building  was  one  door,  which  faced 
the  river  and  was  in  the  middle  of  the  front, 


256  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

with  a  window  on  either  side.  Above  these 
two  windows  were  two  others.  The  rear  was 
provided  in  the  same  manner,  above  and  be- 
low, but  had  no  door.  The  ends  were  finished 
with  a  couple  of  windows,  one  above  the 
other. 

These  windows  were  less  than  a  foot  wide 
and  twice  as  high.  They  were  thus  fash- 
ioned to  prevent  an  enemy  forcing  his  way 
through,  should  he  gain  an  opportunity  to 
make  the  attempt.  They  had  no  glass,  for 
that  article  in  those  days  was  scarce  and 
costly.  Sometimes,  oiled  j)aper  was  used,  but 
with  the  Ashbridge  home  nothing  prevented 
the  free  ingress  of  the  air  from  the  outside. 
In  storm  or  severe  weather  the  inmates  could 
screen  the  windows  or  move  aw^ay  from  them. 

The  roof,  sloping  from  the  crest  each  way, 
was  of  planking,  shelving  so  steeply  that  the 
most  agile  redskin  could  not  have  secured  a 
foothold  upon  it.  The  heavy  planks  came 
down  the  Ohio  on  the  flatboat  in  which  father 
and  son  first  descended  the  stream.  The  craft 
itself  entered  largely  into  the  make  of  the 
structure,  though  most  of  the  timbers  helped 


AN  ALARillXG  DISCOVERY.  257 

to  form  the  furniture.  Chairs,  tables,  bed- 
steads, and  flooring  were  fashioned  with  that 
skill  of  which  an  inkling  was  obtained  from 
viewing  the  building  as  it  loomed  to  view  in 
the  gray  light  of  the  early  morning. 

The  interior  bore  some  resemblance  to  the 
colonial  houses  of  New  England.  The  second 
story  was  what  might  be  called  a  half-story, 
covering  only  a  portion  of  the  floor,  and  was 
reached  by  a  sloping  ladder. 

"  Well,Vhat  do  you  think  of  it  ?" 

The  question  was  asked  by  the  elder  Ash- 
bridge,  after  the  sun  had  risen,  and  when  all 
on  board,  having  awakened  and  attended  to 
their  ablutions  and  toilet,  gathered  near  the 
middle  of  the  flatboat,  where  the  ranger  stood 
studying  the  structure  with  an  intensity  of 
interest  that  had  more  significance  than  any 
one  suspected. 

"It  is  something  to  be  proud  of,"  replied 
Altman ;  "  you  always  were  a  handy  man 
with  tools,  Norman,  and  you've  done  your- 
self proud — that  is  to  say,  you  and  George 
have." 

"  Father  deserves  all  the  credit,"  said  the 

17 


258  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

son ;  "  I  did  some  hard  work,  but  all  the 
planning  was  his.  He  seemed  never  to  lose 
sight  of  the  expected  visit  by  you,"  added  the 
youth,  with  a  meaning  glance  at  Agnes  and 
her  mother. 

"  And  where  is  to  be  our  home?"  asked  the 
daughter,  deeply  interested  in  the  prospect ; 
for,  childlike,  her  imagination  and  that  of 
Mabel  had  been  busy.  They  had  talked  about 
their  new  home  in  the  woods,  of  the  fearful 
red  men,  the  bears,  deer  and  wild  animals, 
and  as  is  invariably  the  case,  had  formed  a 
mental  picture  of  how  everything  would  look, 
and,  as  is  likewise  the  invariable  fact,  the 
reality  proved  far  different  from  what  they 
expected,  though  it  would  seem  there  was 
little  margin  for  the  play  of  fancy. 

Ashbridge  pointed  a  little  to  the  left  of  his 
own  home  and  further  up  stream. 

"  I  think  that  will  be  a  pleasant  location, 
after  more  of  the  land  has  been  cleared.  The 
ground  is  high  and  the  slope  to  the  river 
gradual." 

"Is  it  far  enough  back  to  be  safe  from 
freshets  and  floods  ?" 


AN  ALARMING  DISCOVERY.  259 

"  George  and  I  studied  the  ground  with 
great  care,  and  could  find  no  evidence  that 
the  river  has  ever  reached  a  j)oint  above  our 
cabin.     How  is  that,  Kenton  ?" 

"It's  been  here,"  replied  the  ranger;  "I've 
seed  it  myself  high  enough  to  touch  the  sec- 
ond story  and  swing  the  building  off  down 
stream." 

"  Surely  that  doesn't  happen  often." 

"  No ;  it  ain't  likely  to  be  that  way  agin  for 
years,  though  if  it  had  been  me  as  was  put- 
ting them  logs  together  I'd  h'isted  them  a 
little  further  back  on  higher  yearth,  'cause  it 
ain't  pleasant  to  wake  up  in  the  night  and 
find  yourself  inside  of  a  pile  of  logs,  bobbing 
up  and  down  and  turning  summersets,  and 
most  of  the  time  standing  on  your  head  in 
the  water,  with  your  feet  sticking  out  of  the 
chimbley — that  ere  thing  is  apt  to  be  power- 
ful wearing  after  awhile." 

"  I  know  how  to  fix  dat,"  remarked  Jethro 
Juggens,  who  had  not  allowed  a  word  to 
escape  him,  "  no  need  ob  being  bothered  dat 
way." 

All  looked  at  the  grave  face  of  the  African. 


260  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Ebery  time  dar's  a  storm,  I'm  gwine  to 
roost  in  a  tree  up  among  de  limbs,  wliar  I'll 
be  safe." 

"  Since  we  are  likely  to  be  crowded  until 
the  new  house  is  put  up,"  observed  Mr.  Alt- 
man,  "  you  might  as  well  do  that  from  the 
first." 

"  Bery  well ;  dat'll  soot  me." 

"Well,  Kenton,"  said  Mr.  Ashbridge, 
cheerily,  "  let  us  land,  and  eat  our  breakfast 
in  our  new  house." 

"No,"  quietly  replied  their  guide,  "we'll 
eat  on  the  boat." 

Before  leaving  home,  the  pioneers  had  am- 
ply provided  themselves  with  bread.  The 
weather  was  too  warm  to  preserve  meat,  and 
they  had  drawn  most  of  their  supply  of  solid 
food  from  the  river,  which  in  those  days,  as 
now,  contained  both  variety  and  abundance  of 
fish.  The  flatboat  had  no  stove,  but  near  the 
bow  was  a  floor  of  sand  spread  on  some 
planks,  where  primitive  cooking  was  done 
with  the  rude  utensils  at  command,  the  fish 
being  generally  prepared  by  broiling  on  the 
coals.     Instead,  now,  of  taking  the  time  to 


AX  ALARMING  DISCOVERY.  261 

catch  tliem,  it  was  decided  to  make  their  meal 
upon  the  bread  and  the  coffee,  which  was 
boiled  in  the  manner  already  mentioned. 

While  the  two  elder  ladies  were  preparing 
this,  the  others  moved  about  the  boat  doing 
what  they  could  in  making  ready  to  take  the 
goods  ashore.  Naturally,  they  were  in  buoy- 
ant spirits,  for  all  felt  that  an  epoch  in  their 
enterprise  had  been  reached.  They  seemed 
to  forget  the  perils  through  which  they  had 
passed,  and  to  believe  that  the  end  of  the 
voyage  meant  the  end  of  all  danger  and  suf- 
fering. 

Kenton  was  the  only  really  thoughtful 
member  of  the  party.  Now  that  the  boat  was 
securely  anchored  off  the  clearing,  he  sat  down 
again  at  the  bow,  and  continued  to  study  the 
cabin  with  a  closeness  of  interest  shown  by  no 
one  else.  Rarely  was  he  seen  so  grave  and 
preoccupied. 

The  Panther  showed  no  sign  of  having 
stirred  since  taking  his  position  the  night  be- 
fore. Those  who  stole  glances  at  him  now 
and  then — and  all  did  so — fancied  his  eyes 
were    closed,  and    he   was   asleep.     Possibly 


262  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

sucli  was  the  fact,  though  he  was  likely  to 
awaken  at  any  moment  on  the  slightest  dis- 
turbance. 

George  Ashbridge  sat  a  short  distance  away, 
with  his  sister  Mabel  on  his  left  and  Agnes 
Altman  on  his  right,  the  three  facing  the 
cabin  on  shore. 

"  We  will  set  to  work  at  once,"  said  he, 
"and  in  the  course  of  a  Aveek  or  two  will 
have  just  as  good  a  home  for  your  folks  as 
our  own." 

"But  they  will  live  with  us  until  that 
time,"  remarked  Mabel,  fondling  her  brother's 
hand. 

"  Of  course  ;  it  would  hardly  be  neighborly 
to  make  Agnes  and  the  rest  sleep  outdoors 
while  we  had  a  roof  over  us." 

"  We  shall  be  crowded,"  ventured  Agnes, 
with  a  smile. 

"  Not  so  much  as  on  the  boat.  The  house 
looks  small,  but  it  is  so  well  arranged  inside 
that  we  won't  be  inconvenienced." 

"How  long  since  you  were  in  your  new 
home,  George?" 

"  I  left  it  yesterday  before  noon,  to  paddle 


AN  AJ^ARMING  DISCOVERY.  263 

up  the  river  to  meet  this  boat.  Instead  of 
meeting  it,  I  saw  another  wliich  I  thought — 
but  what  does  Kenton  wish  ?"  asked  the 
youth,  noticing  that  the  scout  was  beckoning 
to  him. 

"  Come  here,  all  three  of  you,"  called  the 
ranger,  in  a  guarded  voice. 

The  wondering  group  gathered  around  their 
friend,  "  tried  and  true." 

"  Now,  you  yonkers  have  all  got  good  eyes ; 
I  want  you  to  look  as  sharp  at  that  ere  house 
as  you  kin,  and  tell  me  whether  you  see  any- 
thing." 

They  did  as  requested,  and  replied  that 
they  detected  nothing  so  far  as  the  cabin  was 
concerned. 

"All  seems  right,  does  it?"  he  asked,  quiz- 
zically. 

"  So  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge,"  replied 
George  Ashbridge  ;  "  why  is  it  you  ask  the 
question  ?" 

"Nothing  partic'lar,"  replied  the  scout, 
"only  that  ere  house  is  full  of  Ingins." 


264  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

what's  to  be  done? 

KENTON'S  startling  announcement  that 
the  log  cabin  was  occupied  by  Indians 
was  made  in  a  voice  heard  by  every  one  on 
the  flatboat. 

It  fell  like  a  thunderbolt.  All,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  prisoner,  gathered  around  the 
scout,  and  more  than  one  asked  the  question : 

"  What's  to  be  done  ?" 

"  Continner  getting  breakfast,"  was  his  re- 
ply, addressing  Mrs.  Altman  and  Ashbridge ; 
"  they  won't  hurt  us  as  long  as  we  stay  on  the 
boat,  so  we  can  take  things  easy." 

Every  eye  was  turned  with  renewed  in- 
terest in  the  direction  of  the  primitive  struc- 
ture, and  sought  to  learn  the  means  by  which 
the  guide  had  made  the  alarming  discovery 
which  fell  from  his  lips,  as  might  have  fallen 
the  declaration  that  a  change  in  the  weather 
was  impending. 


WHAT'S  TO  BE  DONE?  265 

"  You  don't  diskiver  anything  wrong  ?"'  he 
inquiringly  remarked,  with  his  peculiar  smile, 
addressing  the  grou})  generally. 

"  We  have  examined  it  closely,"  said  Mr. 
Ashbridge,  "  and  are  at  a  loss  to  know  the 
cause  of  your  discovery." 

"  I  obsarved  it  all  'long,"  remarked  Jethro, 
knowinsrlv. 

"  AVhat  did  you  notice  ?"  inquired  Kenton, 
turning  toward  the  negro,  who  stood  just  be- 
hind the  others. 

"  Dat  chimbley  ain't  'zactly  plumb  ;  looked 
as  dough  it  had  been  knocked  kinder  side- 
ways." 

"What  has  that  got  to  do  with  the  var- 
mints ?" 

"  A  good  deal ;  de  moment  dat  I  discum- 
noticed  it  I  knowed  dat  a  heathen  had 
stubbed  his  toe  again  it,  and  knocked  it  part 
way  round." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  us  then  ?" 

"  I  war  gwine  to  afore  yo'  went  ashore,  but 
I  wanted  to  see  wheder  any  ob  yo'  had  sharp 
'nough  eyes  to  discumcover  it." 

"There  isn't  anything   about   the  cabin," 


266  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

resumed  Kenton,  with  another  glance  at  it, 
"that  shows  any  of  the  varmints  are  in 
there,  but  I  felt  in  my  bones  something  was 
wrong." 

"  But  what  are  your  reasons  for  feeling 
so?"  asked  Mr.  Altman,  who  knew  that  so 
clear-headed  a  man  as  Kenton  must  possess  a 
tangible  reason  for  the  astonishing  declaration 
that  had  fallen  from  his  lips. 

*'  In  the  fust  place,  Girty  and  the  varmints 
knowed  where  we  was  going ;  they  knowed 
we  was  making  for  this  clearing,  and  intended 
to  land  and  go  into  that  cabin." 

"  AVhat  a  pity  we  did  not  reach  the  other 
flatboat  before  the  renegade  and  the  Shaw- 
anoes  left !"  said  Altman,  bitterly. 

"  Yes,  it  were  a  dreadful  pity,"  was  the  in- 
nocent comment  of  the  scout ;  "  but,  as  I  was 
saying,  the  varmints  knowed  the  p'int  we  were 
aiming  at,  and  they  had  plenty  of  time  to  get 
there  ahead  of  us,  so  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
that  was  the  likeliest  thing  to  happen.  It 
generally  comes  about  when  a  scrimmage 
takes  place  atween  the  varmints  and  some  of 
our  folks,  it's  the  varmints  that  are  outside 


WHAT'S  TO  BE  DONE?  267 

and  the  whites  inside;  but  it  hapi^ens  to  be 
tother  way  now,  and  them  as  is  inside  has  a 
powerful  sight  the  best  chance." 

"  What  is  their  plan  ?" 

"  They  mean  to  keep  out  of  sight  till  we 
land,  and  start  to  enter  the  house.  Then 
they'll  pick  us  off  without  getting  a  scratch 
themselves." 

"  Dar's  one  thing  sartin,"  remarked  Jethro, 
amid  the  oppressive  silence ;  "  dem  Injins 
hain't  got  no  bus'ness  in  dar ;  Mr.  Ashbridge 
owns  de  place,  and  he  orter  make  'em  pay 
rent  for  de  time  dey  ockerpies  it.  I  hope  he'll 
salt  'em  good." 

The  others  were  too  alarmed  to  heed  these 
words. 

"  I  would  like  to  understand  one  thing, 
Kenton,"  said  Mr.  Ashbridge ;  "  that  is, 
whether  what  you  have  told  us  is  based  on  the 
reasoning  of  which  you  have  just  spoken,  or 
whether  you  have  certain  knowledge  of  the 
Indians  being  in  the  cabin." 

"It's  sartin  knowledge,"  replied  the  scout. 

"  In  what  manner  was  that  knowledge 
gained  ?" 


268  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

*'  I  seed  one  of  the  varmints  with  my  own 
eyes." 

"  When  r 

"  About  sunup,  the  boat  warn't  more'n 
fairly  to  rest  when  I  took  a  good  squint  at  the 
cabin,  for  I  had  plenty  of  misgivings  and  no 
mistake.  At  the  upper  winder,  on  the  right 
of  the  door,  as  we  face  the  house,  I  catch  ed  a 
glimpse  of  a  painted  face,  just  the  corner  of  his 
head,  as  though  he  was  peeping  from  behind  a 
tree  to  draw  a  bead  with  his  rifle.  It  was  only  a 
second,  for  them  varmints  are  j^owerful  keerful, 
but  it  was  enough.  It  told  the  story  as  plain  as 
if  they  had  come  out  and  told  it  themselves." 

This  statement,  made  by  any  one  else,  would 
not  have  been  credited,  but,  coming  from  Ken- 
ton, no  one  doubted  a  syllable. 

Jethro  Juggens  opened  his  mouth  to  offer 
a  suggestion,  but  a  frown  from  his  master 
hushed  the  words  before  they  were  uttered. 

"  I  understand,"  said  Ashbridge,  "  you  saw 
only  one,  while  you  speak  of  a  number." 

"  Do  you  s'pose  that  one  of  the  varmints 
would  hide  himself  in  there  to  wait  for  us  to 
come  through  the  door?" 


WHAT'S  TO  BE  DONE?  269 

"  But  you  cannot  know  the  exact  number." 

"  No ;  there  may  be  half  a  dozen  or  twice 
as  many.  They  know  how  many  of  us  are 
on  the  flatboat,  and  they  woukln't  wait  in 
there  unless  they  were  sartin  they's  enough 
to  send  us  all  under." 

This  was  reasonable,  and  none  ventured  to 
dispute  the  conclusion.  The  vigorous  appe- 
tites which  all  had  experienced  a  short  time 
before  were  sensibly  affected,  excej^t,  perhaps, 
in  the  case  of  Jethro,  who  cast  longing  eyes 
at  the  women  busy  preparing  the  coffee,  whose 
aroma  filled  the  air. 

"  AVe  are  ready,"  said  Mrs.  Ashbridge, 
quietly ;  "  but  neither  of  us  feels  much  like 
eating  breakfast." 

"  Eat  when  you've  got  the  chance  is  my 
law,"  observed  Kenton  ;  "  for  you  don't  know 
when  another  chance  will  come." 

"  Dem's  my  sentuments,  likewise,"  assented 
Jethro  ;  "  and  dey're  bery  wise." 

And  so  the  two  women,  two  girls  and  five 
men  grouped  themselves  in  irregular  order 
around  one  of  the  boxes  on  which  the  bread 
had  been  placed  after  cutting  into  slices,  with 


270  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  steamiDg  coffee  ready  to  be  poured  into 
the  tin  cups.  These  comprised  the  morning 
meaL  At  another  time  it  would  have  proven 
scant,  but  there  was  abundance  now. 

When  all  was  ready,  and  before  any  had 
partaken,  Thomas  Altman  bent  his  head,  and 
in  few  words  asked  the  blessing  of  Heaven 
upon  the  food,  and  the  continued  protecting 
care  of  their  Divine  Father  in  the  perils  which 
encompassed  them  all. 

It  was  an  impressive  sight ;  all  the  heads 
bowed,  while  the  murmured  prayer  found  an 
echo  in  every  heart.  They  had  passed  through 
many  dangers,  and  had  been  mercifully  pre- 
served, but  it  began  to  look  as  if  their  situation 
was  more  helpless  than  at  any  time  before. 

Hardly  a  word  was  spoken  during  the  sim- 
ple meal.  Many  covert  glances  were  cast  in 
the  direction  of  the  clearing,  but  nothing  out 
of  the  usual  order  could  be  observed.  At 
the  close  of  the  breakfast,  Agnes  said,  with  a 
faint  smile : 

"We  have  forgotten  something." 

"What  is  that?"  asked  her  mother,  while 
all  looked  wonderingly  at  her. 


WHAT'S  TO  BE  DONE?  271 

"The  Panther — he  must  be  hungry." 

"  The  gal  is  right,"  Kenton  was  quick  to 
say  ;  "  the  good  book  teaches  us  to  feed  them 
as  is  hungry,  and  it  won't  do  to  forget  the 
varmint.  You  were  so  kind  to  him  afore, 
you're  the  one  to  look  after  him  now." 

Agnes  turned  to  the  scout,  as  if  seeking 
the  meaning  of  this  remark,  but  his  face 
never  wore  a  more  serious  expression.  Had 
she  scrutinized  it  a  little  more  closely,  she 
might  have  noted  a  faint  twinkle  of  the  blue 
eyes,  which  left  no  doubt  of  the  waggish  im- 
pulse that  prompted  the  remark. 

With  two  substantial  slices  of  bread  in  one 
hand,  and  a  tin  cup  brimming  with  coffee  in 
the  other,  Agnes  walked  carefully  along  the 
side  of  the  boat  to  where  the  sullen  Shawanoe 
sat  with  his  chin  on  his  breast. 

"  Wa-on-mon,"  she  said,  in  a  gentle  voice, 
"here  are  bread  and  coffee  for  you." 

He  did  not  stir  or  look  up.  She  thought  he 
was  asleep,  and  had  not  heard  her.  Stooping 
slightly,  she  touched  his  forehead  with  the 
hand  holding  the  bread.  Like  a  flash,  he 
darted  a  glance  into  her  face. 


272  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"AVliat  want?"  he  demanded. 

''  Here  is  a  nice  cup  of  coffee  and  some 
bread  for  you ;  I'm  sorry  I  haven't  anything 
better,  but  it  is  all  we  have." 

"Don't  want,"  he  replied,  angrily  shaking 
his  head. 

"  But  you  must  take  the  coffee." 

"  Can't  drink  ;  hands  fast." 

"I  wouldn't  loose  his  hands,"  remarked 
Kenton,  who,  like  all  the  rest,  was  watching 
the  proceedings.     "  I'm  afraid  it  won't  pay." 

"  Don't  be  frightened ;  I  won't  do  anything 
like  that  again,"  replied  Agnes.  "Here, 
Wa-on-mon,  I  will  hold  the  coffee  to  your 
lips." 

And,  without  heeding  his  protest,  she  placed 
the  cup  to  his  mouth. 

It  looked  as  if  he  had  changed  his  mind, 
and  decided  to  accept  the  kind  offer.  He  threw 
his  head  forward  and  seemed  to  be  drinking, 
but  he  did  not  swallow  a  drop.  Instead,  he 
closed  his  teeth  with  the  edge  of  the  cup  be- 
tween, and  then,  by  a  quick  flirt,  sent  the 
utensil  with  the  hot  fluid  tumbling  over  his 
head,  upward  and  outward  into  the  river.  No 


WHAT'S  TO  BE  DOXE?  273 

prestidigitateur  could  have  performed  the  feat 
more  cleverly. 

Before  the  astonished  Agnes  could  speak, 
Kenton  called  out : 

"Didn't  you  know  the  varmints  won't  drink 
coffee?" 

"  I  know  this  one  won't,  but  I  didn't  know 
it  before.  How  will  he  like  the  bread?" 
asked  the  girl,  hesitating,  with  the  coarse 
brown  slices  in  her  hand. 

"Try  him  and  see." 

Agnes  extended  the  thick  pieces.  The 
Panther  parted  his  jaws  as  if  to  take  a  big 
mouthful.  So  he  did,  but  the  moment  his 
teeth  were  fastened  in  the  bread,  he  repeated 
his  performance,  flirting  the  food  over  the 
gunwale  behind  him,  and  then  spat  out  what 
remained  in  his  mouth. 

''You're  a  mean,  ungrateful  creature,  that's 
what  you  are!"  exclaimed  the  indignant 
Agnes;  "you  deserve  to  come  to  want  for 
that." 

"Dat's  what  I  tinks,"  added  Jethro,  rising 
to  his  feet,  and  peering  over  the  side  of  the 
boat,  as  if    to  learn  whether  the  bread  and 

18 


274  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

coffee  were  gone  beyond  recovery ;  "  I  could 
hab  made  better  use  ob  dem  tings  myself," 

"  Wa-on-mon  don't  want — go  away — leave 
Wa-on-mon  be." 

*'  I'll  do  so,"  said  Agnes,  turning  quickly 
on  her  lieel ;  *'  I'll  never  try  to  do  a  kindness 
to  you  again." 

"  Better  say  that  for  all  the  varmints,"  re- 
marked Kenton  ;  "  for  they're  all  alike." 

The  Panther  had  dropped  his  chin  on  his 
breast  again  and  preserved  the  same  stolid 
silence  as  before.  He  appeared  to  feel  no 
concern  in  what  was  going  on  around  him, 
and  cared  nothing  for  the  little  ebullition  of 
feeling  he  had  caused. 

"  I  would  like  to  know  one  thing,"  said  the 
elder  Ashbridge,  addressing  Kenton,  "  and 
that  is  what  is  to  be  done  with  that  fellow 
now  that  we're  at  the  end  of  our  voyage." 

"I'll  show  you,"  replied  the  scout,  rising 
to  his  feet.  There  was  no  trace  of  a  smile  on 
his  face.  All  saw  that  he  had  decided  upon 
some  decisive  step. 

"  Friends,"  he  added,  "  I'm  going  ashore ; 
I'm  going  into  the  cabin." 


WHAT'S  TO  BE  DONE  ?  275 

"  But  they  will  shoot  you,"  protested  Alt- 
man. 

"  Mebbe  they  will  and  mebbe  they  won't, 
but  if  they  do  I'll  count  on  you,"  said  the 
scout,  addressing  young  Ashbridge,  *'  to  let 
daylight  through  The  Panther." 

"  I  pledge  you  I  will  do  it,"  replied  the 
youth,  "  but  a  hundred  lives  like  his  are  not 
worth  one  like  yours." 

''  Not  to  me,  that's  sartin,  but  we  must  take 
chances." 

"  How  will  you  manage  it  ?" 

"  I  will  paddle  ashore  with  ^  him  in  the 
canoe,  and  leave  him  in  the  boat,  where  the 
varmints  in  the  cabin  can  see  him,  and  where 
you  can  cover  him  wdth  your  gun ;  then 
we'll  see." 


276  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

A   STEANGE    PEOPOSAL. 

HAVING  decided  upon  his  course  of  ac- 
tion, Simon  Kenton  moved  promptly. 

Striding  to  where  the  sullen  chieftain  sat, 
with  his  back  against  the  side  of  the  flatboat, 
he  griped  one  of  his  arms  and  fairly  lifted 
him  to  his  feet.  The  Panther  was  able  to 
stand  erect,  but  with  the  rigid  thongs  about 
his  ankles,  could  not  take  a  step. 

Flinging  one  arm  about  his  waist,  with  his 
other  hand  grasping  his  rifle,  the  scout  raised 
him  as  though  he  were  a  child,  walked  to  the 
other  side  of  the  boat,  and  leaning  over  the 
gunwale,  carefully  set  his  burden  in  the  canoe 
floating  at  the  side  of  the  larger  craft.  He 
did  this  so  deftly  that  the  smaller  boat  was 
scarcely  disturbed.  Then  he  sat  down,  laid 
his  rifle  in  front  of  himself,  unfastened  the 
canoe  and  lifted  the  paddle. 


A  STRANGE  PROPOSAL.  277 

"  Younker,"  he  said,  looking  up  at  George 
Ashbridge,  who  had  followed  him  to  the  gun- 
wale, "  stand  there  with  the  hammer  of  your 
gun  raised ;  you're  not  to  do  anything  to  the 
varmint  onless  something  happens,  to  me.  Do 
you  understand  ?" 

"  I  do ;  if  a  hair  on  your  head  is  harmed, 
it's  good-bye,  Mr.  Panther." 

"  That's  it,  but  don't  be  too  quick ;  you'll 
know  of  a  sartinty  if  I  go  under." 

Ever}^  one  on  board  watched  the  proceed- 
ings with  breathless  interest.  All  felt  that 
the  crisis  of  their  venture  had  come,  and  the 
next  few  minutes  would  decide  the  fate  of  the 
little  party. 

If  the  Shawanoe  harmed  the  daring  Ken- 
ton their  chieftain  would  receive  not  a  sec- 
ond's grace  at  the  hands  of  young  Ashbridge. 
In  turn,  the  infuriated  hostiles  would  deny 
mercy  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  on  the 
flatboat. 

Everything  now  depended  on  the  reception 
given  to  Kenton. 

Ashbridge  and  Altman  stood  near  the  bow, 
each  with  rifle  grasped,  ready  for  instant  use. 


278  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Even  Jethro  Juggens  was  impressed  with  the 
gravity  of  the  situation,  for  he,  too,  held  his 
gun  ready  for  instant  use  and  was  silent. 
Despite  his  sluggish  intellect  and  seeming 
stupidity,  he  was  one  of  the  best  marksmen 
in  the  party,  and  under  proper  direction 
would  prove  a  valuable  ally. 

He  had  been  warned  not  to  fire  without 
orders,  and  he  promised  to  obey. 

Mrs.  Altman  and  Agnes  sat  as  close  to  the 
husband  and  father  as  they  could  place  them- 
selves without  interfering  with  his  freedom  of 
movement,  and  Mrs.  Ashbridge  and  Mabel 
did  the  same  as  regards  Mr.  Ashbridge. 
George  held  his  post  at  the  stern,  gun  clasped 
in  both  hands  and  the  muzzle  lowered,  but  in 
position  for  prompt  use  Avhenever  necessary, 
while  he  never  removed  his  eyes  from  the 
canoe  and  its  occupants,  except  to  glance  at 
the  house,  now  of  profounder  interest  than 
ever  before. 

Several  of  those  on  the  boat  expected  the 
Shawanoes  within  the  building  to  show  them- 
selves at  the  windows,  but  they  kept  out  of 
sight,  and  but  fur  the  assurance  of  Kenton, 


A  STRANGE  PROPOSAL.  279 

his  friends  could  not  have  believed  that  a 
living  soul  was  within  the  structure. 

The  flatboat  lay  so  comparatively  near  shore 
that  it  took  but  a  brief  while  for  the  scout  to 
paddle  the  distance.  While  doing  so,  he 
faced  the  prisoner,  and  thus  had  his  back  to- 
ward the  clearing,  but  he  continually  glanced 
over  his  shoulder,  as  though  expecting  some 
demonstration  from  his  enemies. 

None  was  made,  and  he  drove  the  nose  of 
the  canoe  up  the  bank,  where  it  stuck  ftist. 

"  Wa-on-mon,"  he  said,  before  rising  from 
his  seat,  "  I  reckon  you  understand  matters, 
but,  to  prevent  any  mistake,  I'll  explanify. 
I'm  going  to  leave  you  in  the  canoe  while  I 
go  forward  to  have  a  pow-wow  with  your 
folks  in  the  cabin ;  I'll  agree  that  if  they 
come  out  and  leave  us  alone,  I'll  set  you  free ; 
but  if  they  draw  a  bead  on  me,  that  young 
man  standing  on  the  boat,  with  his  gun  ready, 
will  let  daylight  through  you  quicker'n  light- 
ning, and  wind  up  all  your  warpath  bus'ness. 
Or,  if  it  can  be  fixed  that  you  and  me  will 
fight  it  out  alone,  I'm  agreeable." 

The  black  eyes  flashed  at  the  last  remark, 


280  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

but  The  Panther  replied  with  no  little  dig- 
nity : 

"  Wa-on-mon  does  not  fear  to  meet  the  pale- 
face in  the  woods,  but  he  cannot  fight  when  he  is 
a  child,  because  his  hands  and  feet  are  bound." 

"  That  remark  is  unnecessary,"  said  Ken- 
ton, in  English,  "  for  nobody  thinks  any  dif- 
ferent. I  don't  believe  I  could  do  much  my- 
self, if  I  was  in  your  fix,  except  to  butt  with 
my  head,  and  I  never  seed  one  of  your  kind 
that  was  good  at  that.  All  you've  got  to  do 
is  to  stay  where  you  are,  and  you  can't  very 
well  help  doing  that,  and  if  I  can  fix  it  so 
you  and  me  can  fight  this  thing  out,  you  kin 
depend  on  me  to  do  it." 

As  Kenton  stepped  from  the  canoe  to  walk 
up  the  slope,  he  took  from  the  inside  of  his 
hunting  shirt  a  large  white  handkerchief, 
which  he  usually  carried  with  him,  and  held 
it  above  his  head. 

The  Shawanoes  could  not  fail  to  recognize 
the  fiag  of  truce.  AVhether  they  would  re- 
spect it,  remained  to  be  seen.  Probably  they 
would  do  so  for  a  time,  owing  to  the  peculiar 
circumstances  surrounding  it. 


A  STRANGE  PEOPOSAL.  281 

It  was  a  trying  situation  for  the  scout,  for 
many  a  man,  as  he  well  knew,  had  been 
wantonly  shot  down  while  advancing  with 
this  sign  of  comity.  He  showed  no  faltering, 
however,  walking  with  deliberate  gait,  his 
gaze  on  the  front  of  the  cabin,  assured  that 
every  eye  in  the  building  was  secretly  watch- 
ing him,  while  his  friends  on  the  flatboat  fairly 
held  their  breath  under  the  tension  of  their 
nerves. 

Those  on  the  craft  expected  him  to  hail  the 
house  before  reaching  it,  but,  instead  of  doing 
so,  he  advanced  until  close  to  the  massive 
door,  whose  heavy  timbers  rendered  it  as  strong 
as  the  side  of  the  cabin  itself. 

AVhile  it  could  be  secured  on  the  inside 
with  jDOwerful  wooden  cross-bars,  yet  the  usual 
method  of  locking  it  was  by  pulling  in  the 
latch-string.  When  that  was  out,  a  twitch 
would  raise  the  fastening  within,  and  a  gentle 
pressure  would  cause  the  structure  to  swing 
back  on  its  hinges. 

Before  Kenton  arrived  at  the  door,  he  noted 
the  leathern  string  dangling  through  the  ori- 
fice  above    the   latch.     That  was  to   be  ex- 


282  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

pectecl,  for  the  Shawanoes  wished  the  whites 
to  walk  inside  with  no  misgivings,  until  too 
late  to  save  themselves. 

With  his  rifle  in  his  left  hand,  he  reached 
out  his  right  and  pulled  the  string.  Instantly 
the  latch  was  raised,  and  the  door  swung  in- 
ward of  its  own  weight.  By  means  of  the 
string,  which  he  retained  in  his  grasp,  he 
checked  and  held  the  door  'motionless,  with 
only  a  few  inches  of  opening.  He  glanced  up 
at  the  windows  for  the  dozenth  time,  but  saw 
none  of  the  enemies  he  was  certain  were 
inside. 

Instead  of  entering,  he  called  in  Shawanoe 
through  the  partly  open  door : 

"The  white  man  wishes  to  speak  to  his 
brother;  he  has  something  to  say  in  his 
ear." 

He  paused  for  a  reply,  but  the  stillness  was 
unbroken. 

Could  it  be  that  he  was  in  error  after  all  ? 
No  ;  he  knew  he  was  not. 

"  Helloa,  Girty  !  I  know  you  are  in  there, 
so  you  may  as  well  answer;  I  know,  too, 
you've  got  a  lot  of  varmints  with  you,"  said 


A  STEANGE  PROPOSAL.  283 

Kenton,  in  English ;  "  jou.  may  think  you 
kin  fool  me,  but  you  can't." 

The  listener  heard  a  footfall.  Some  one  was 
moving  across  the  lower  floor,  and  taking  no 
pains  to  hide  the  noise. 

Suddenly  the  renegade,  with  his  red  face, 
his  sandy  whiskers,  his  small  gray  eyes,  his 
frowsy  hair,  his  coonskin  cap,  his  weapons 
and  hunting  costume,  presented  himself  at  the 
door,  near  enough  for  his  former  friend  and 
acquaintance  to  touch  him,  had  he  wished, 
with  his  outstretched  arm. 

Girtywas  angry,  and  uttered  an  execration. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  this?"  he  de- 
manded. 

Kenton,  who  always  had  a  perception  of 
the  grotesque  side  of  things,  smiled. 

"  jSTow,  see  here,  Sime,  do  you  think  it's  a 
squar'  deal  to  bring  a  lot  of  friends  into  a 
man's  house  in  this  style,  without  asking 
leave?  The  younker  left  the  latch-string 
out,  as  he  always  does,  but  that  didn't  mean 
you  were  to  fetch  all  the  varmints  you  could 
scare  up  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio  with  you 
when  you  called  on  him." 


284  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  You  are  the  infernalest  chap  I  ever 
knowed,"  remarked  the  renegade,  still  angry, 
"  don't  you  see  we  kin  send  you  under  quick- 
er'n  a  wink  of  the  eye?" 

"  So  you  kin,  so  you  kin,  though  I  come  to 
you  under  a  flag  of  truce." 

"  To  the  mischief  with  your  flag  of  truce  ! 
What  do  we  care  for  that  ?" 

"  Not  much,  that's  true ;  you  kin  send  me 
under,  but  in  the  same  second  The  Panther 
will  start  for  his  happy  hunting  grounds." 

"That's  all  that  saved  you,"  remarked 
Girty,  with  a  j^eculiar  expression,  "  but  now 
you're  here,  what  do  you  want  ?" 

"  How  many  varmints  have  you  inside?" 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  white  men  were 
conversing  in  English.  While  most  of  the 
tribe  could  not  speak  or  understand  the  lan- 
guage, there  were  a  number,  like  The  Pan- 
ther, who  knew  considerable  of  it.  The  two 
Simons  were  talkino-  with  the  knowledo:e  that 
every  word  sj^oken  was  heard  and  fully  or 
partly  comprehended  by  the  Indians  within 
the  cabin. 

When,  therefore,  Kenton   asked   the  ques- 


A  STRANGE  PROPOSAL.  285 

tion  just  given,  the  renegade  made  instant 
response : 

"Ten." 

But  even  while  he  sjooke  he  moved  the 
fingers  and  thumb  of  his  left  hand,  and  partly 
closed  one  of  the  eyes  that  were  looking 
straight  into  the  face  of  Kenton.  The  latter 
nodded.  He  "  caught  on."  Instead  of  ten 
warriors  being  within,  the  number  was  just 
half  that. 

"  Yes,  ten  of  the  best  warriors  of  the  Shaw- 
anoes — enough  to  take  the  scalps  of  twice  as 
many  palefaces.  We  are  armed;  we  are 
waiting  for  you." 

"  How  long  do  you  mean  to  wait  ?  You 
see  it  ain't  a  big  house,  Sime,  and  there's 
hardly  room  for  all  inside.  We're  not  going 
in  till  you  come  out." 

"  We  will  keep  the  house ;  we  shall  stay  as 
long  as  we  wish ;  when  we  get  ready  we'll 
set  it  afire,  and  come  out  and  take  your 
scalps." 

"That's  big  talk,  but  it  won't  work  with 
us.  We've  got  Wa-on-mon,  The  Panther,  and 
I'll  make  you  this  proj^osition,  which  you  can 


286  SHOD  WITH  silence. 

explain  to  your  friends :  If  you  and  they  will 
come  out  and  go  off  in  the  woods,  and  not  do 
anything  to  harm  our  folks,  and  promise  to 
leave  us  alone,  I  will  set  the  chieftain  free, 
give  him  back  his  knife  and  gun  and  toma- 
hawk, and  let  him  follow  you." 

There  were  some  singular  features  about 
this  proposition,  the  most  singular  of  which 
was  that  in  making  it  Kenton  was  fully  aware 
that  not  the  slightest  reliance  could  be  placed 
upon  the  Shawanoes  observing  a  single  one 
of  its  provisions  for  a  moment  longer  than  it 
was  to  their  interest  to  do  so.  But  the  scout 
had  other  arrangements  in  mind,  to  which 
his  proposal  served  only  as  the  introduction. 

"I'll  talk  with  my  brothers,"  remarked 
Girty,  turning  about  and  pushing  the  door  to, 
though  he  did  not  latch  it. 

Kenton  caught  the  murmur  of  voices  and 
heard  the  shuffling  of  feet.  Had  he  not 
known  differently,  he  might  have  believed  a 
dozen  Indians  were  within,  but  he  penetrated 
the  little  subterfuge.  They  w^ere  doing  this 
to  impress  him  with  their  numbers  and 
strength.     He  could  afford  to  smile  and  wait. 


A  STEAXGE  PROPOSAL.  287 

Turning  his  side  toward  the  door,  he  looked 
back. 

The  Panther  was  seated  in  the  canoe  just  as 
he  had  been  left.  Young  Ashbridge,  with 
rifle  held  in  both  hands,  was  ready  to  bring 
the  weapon  to  a  level  the  moment  the  call 
came.  He  was  standing  erect  behind  the 
nearest  gunwale,  and  did  not  allow  the 
slightest  occurrence  to  escape  him. 

The  rest  of  the  party  were  grouped  about, 
silent,  watchful,  filled  with  anxiety,  dread  and 
foreboding. 

Seeing  all  were  looking  at  him,  Kenton 
waved  his  hand  in  salutation.  He  was  seen 
to  smile,  but  no  one  was  in  the  mood  to  re- 
spond in  that  fashion.  Agnes  replied  with 
upraised  hand,  but,  like  the  rest,  her  face 
was  pale  and  her  suspense  almost  unbear- 
able. 

Girty  returned  abruptly  and  spoke  in  a 
surly  voice,  though  the  expression  of  his  face 
partly  contradicted  his  words. 

"  The  warriors  propose,  Sime,  that  you  and 
The  Panther  shall  fight  this  thing  out,"  was 
the  astonishing  remark  of  the  renegade. 


288  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Nothing  will  suit  me  better,"  was  the  in- 
stant response. 

"  All  right ;  it'll  take  only  a  few  minutes 
to  fix  it." 


BY  THE  SPLINTEEED  OAK.  289 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

BY    THE   SPLINTERED    OAK. 

NO  proposition  could  have  suited  Simon 
Kenton  better  than  that  the  quarrel  of 
the  pioneers  and  Shawanoes  should  be  set- 
tled by  a  personal  conflict  between  him  and 
The  Panther.  That  had  been  his  longing 
from  the  first,  but  he  saw  no  way  of  bringing 
it  about.  Now,  the  suggestion  came  from  the 
chieftain's  side. 

As  it  was,  the  scout  doubted  whether  any- 
thing approaching  fairness  would  be  shown. 
He  was  confident  the  Indians  would  attempt 
treachery,  but,  as  we  have  intimated,  the 
scheme  he  had  in  mind  reached  further  than 
that  of  his  enemies. 

"  Nothing  can  suit  me  better,"  he  added  to 
Girty,  who  stood  in  the  half-opened  door  talk- 
ing with  him,  the  words  of  both  being  audible 
to  those  within. 

19 


290  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  You  and  The  Panther  have  been  huntin' 
each  other  for  more'n  a  year,"  observed  the 
renegade,  "  and  it's  a  jnty  you  hain't  met 
afore,  so  you  could  wind  up  the  bus'ness  as  it 
oughter  be  wound  up." 

"  It  ain't  my  fault  that  we  hain't  met,  Sime, 
nor  do  I  know  that  it  is  the  Panther's,  but 
things  didn't  run  our  way.  What's  the 
idee?" 

"  You  are  to  loosen  the  hands  and  feet  of 
The  Panther,  so  he  can  have  a  fair  chance, 
that's  the  fust  step,"  added  Girty,  with  an  ex- 
pression of  countenance  which  satisfied  the 
scout  he  was  honest  so  far. 

"  No  use  of  remarking  that ;  it's  agreed  to." 

"  There's  a  splintered  oak — been  struck  by 
lightning,  I  s'pose — about  one  hundred  yards 
down  stream,  and  back  just  far  'nough  to  be 
out  of  sight  of  the  river.  A  little  stream  of 
water  winds  at  the  foot  of  the  oak." 

"  I  know  the  spot,"  said  Kenton. 

"  You're  to  walk  there  without  your  rifle 
and  wait  for  The  Panther ;  he'll  be  only  a  few 
minutes  behind  you.  Each  will  have  his 
knife,  but  nothing   else.     There   isn't  to  be 


BY  THE  SPLINTEKED  OAK.  291 

any  of  your  people  to  look  on  nor  any  of 
ours." 

"What  next?" 

"  The  one  as  wins  is  to  come  back  here — 
not  to  the  cabin  if  it's  you,  but  down  by  the 
edge  of  the  water,  where  the  canoe  is  to  be 
left.  If  it's  you,  you  must  wave  the  sculp  of 
The  Panther  over  your  head  as  a  token  of 
what  you've  done,  though  the  sight  of  your- 
self will  be  i:)urty  good  23roof." 

"  'Sposing  I  do  that,  what  next  ?" 

"Me  and  the  ten  Shawanoes  will  come  out 
of  the  front  door,  leave,  and  won't  bother  you 
any  more." 

"  'Sposing  it's  The  Panther  that  comes  back 
with  my  topknot  ?" 

"  Then  we  ain't  under  any  promise  to  leave 
—that's  all." 

"  I  agree  to  them  conditions." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  during  this  con- 
versation the  two  white  men  stood  within 
arm's  length  of  each  other,  and  though  the 
listening  warriors  inside  might  form  a  clear 
idea  of  what  passed  between  them,  no  one  was 
able  to  see  their  countenances. 


292  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Kenton's  gratitude  to  Girty  has  already 
been  explained.  The  latter,  as  he  had  inti- 
mated, was  not  willing  to  do  anything  more 
for  the  scout,  though  inclined  to  wish  him 
well,  but  the  warning  given  the  preceding 
night,  of  the  intended  attack  on  the  other 
flatboat,  was  not  without  a  certain  effect  on 
the  evil  man. 

There  is  a  language  of  expression  often 
more  effective  than  words.  Simon  Girty's 
good  will  went  to  the  extent  of  seeking  to 
tell  the  truth  to  his  former  friend.  When  his 
words  declared  there  were  ten  warriors  in  the 
building,  he  contradicted  it  by  gesture,  and 
gave  the  correct  number.  So,  during  the 
conversation  recorded,  he  and  Kenton  held 
another  exchange  of  thoughts  by  means  of 
the  eyes,  expression  and  stealthy  gesture. 
This  "inner"  conversation  might  be  recorded 
as  follows : 

"  Is  this  proposition  of  yours,  Girty,  a 
squar'  one?" 

"  It  is." 

"  Why  do  the  varmints  make  it  ?" 

"  Being  thar  are  only  five  of  'em  and  thar 


BY  THE  SPLIXTEEED  OAK.  293 

are  that  many  of  you,  they  don't  feel  quite  so 
sartiu  as  they  did.  If  you  hadn't  been  along, 
"we'd  have  trapped  them  folks  with  you  as 
sure  as  a  gun." 

"  Of  course ;  but  how  is  this  thing  going  to 
be  worked?" 

"  Just  as  I  said ;  I'm  going  to  do  what  I 
kin  to  see  it's  put  through  straight." 

That  which  follows  was  spoken,  and  there- 
fore intended  for  the  ears  of  all  within  hear- 
ing. 

"  I  will  go  back  to  the  large  boat  with  The 
Panther ;  I  will  give  him  his  knife,  but  not 
his  gun  or  tomahawk  ;  I'll  bring  him  to  shore 
agin,  leaving  my  gun  on  the  big  boat,  and 
your  promise  is  that  no  one  shall  come  out 
of  this  cabin  till  The  Panther  or  me  comes 
back  from  that  little  argyment  by  the  splint- 
ered oak." 

"That's  it;  none  of  the  Shawanoes  can 
leave  the  house  except  by  this  door,  where 
the  people  on  the  flatboat  can  see  'em  ;  that'll 
give  'em  a  chance  to  shoot  'em  down  or  let 
you  know." 

"  Enough  said,"  was  the  response  of  Ken- 


294  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

ton,  who  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  back 
more  rapidly  to  where  The  Panther  awaited 
him  in  his  canoe. 

There,  while  paddling  slowly  out  to  the 
flatboat,  he  explained  what  had  been  agreed 
upon.  He  was  glad  to  note  the  flash  of  The 
Panther's  eyes  when  he  comprehended  that 
they  two  were  thus  to  settle  not  only  the  dis- 
pute between  the  parties,  but  the  bitter,  long- 
standing feud  between  themselves  person- 
ally. 

"  Wa-on-mon  will  hasten  to  meet  the  pale- 
face," he  replied  ;  "  for  the  paleface  is  a  dog  ; 
he  is  not  fit  to  live." 

"  Now  hold  on  that  sort  of  talk,"  said 
Kenton,  grimly  ;  "  for  it  ain't  necessary  atween 
you  and  me.  It's  the  custom  of  you  var- 
mints to  rouse  a  prisoner  by  saying  powerful 
bad  things,  but,  as  I  remarked,  it's  altogetlier 
onnecessary  with  me,  'cause  I  hate  you  so 
much  that  I  can't  hate  you  any  more.  Don't 
forget  one  thing,  my  painted  beauty,"  added 
Kenton,  with  a  gleam  of  frightful  ferocity, 
"that  when  you  and  me  meet,  one  or  the 
other  dies." 


BY  THE  SPLINTERED  OAK.  295 

An  instant  before  reaching  the  side  of  the 
flatboat  the  ranger  ceased  paddling,  and  lean- 
ing slightly  forward  cut  the  thongs  at  the 
ankles  and  the  wrists  of  his  prisoner. 

"That's  just  what  you  blamed  me  for,"  re- 
marked Agnes  xlltman,  who,  like  the  others, 
witnessed  the  act. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Kenton,  "  and  I'm  going  to 
do  another  thing  you  done." 

As  he  spoke,  he  stepjoed  over  the  gunwale 
to  where  the  rifle,  towahawk,  and  knife  of  The 
Panther  were  laid  after  being  taken  from 
him.  He  picked  up  the  last  named  and 
handed  it  to  the  chieftain,  who  retained  his 
place  in  the  canoe. 

*'  If  it's  you  that  goes  down,"  explained 
Kenton,  "  you  wont  need  the  other  things ; 
if  it's  me,  you  can  paddle  out  in  the  canoe 
and  get  'em.  I  know,  Wa-on-mon,  that 
that's  asking  you  to  put  some  faith  in  the 
promises  of  the  palefaces,  but  this  thing  can't 
be  managed  without  something  like  that.  If 
it  was  your  people,  they  would  lie,  'cause  they 
can't  help  it,  but  you  can  depend  on  us." 

It  was  necessary  to  explain  the  extraordi- 


296  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

nary  arrangement  to  his  friends,  which  Ken- 
ton did  in  the  fewest  words  possible. 

One  and  all  pronounced  it  the  wildest 
scheme  that  could  possibly  be  devised.  They 
set  out  to  dissuade  the  ranger,  but  he  checked 
them  with  a  peremptory  gesture. 

"I  give  The  Panthor  a  lecture  awhile  ago 
on  the  onnecessariness  of  saying  onnecessary 
things,  which  th^  same  will  do  for  you.  You 
understand  that  not  an  Indian  is  to  leave  the 
cabin  till  this  thing  is  over.  None  of  the 
varmints  can  come  out  without  using  the  front 
door,  where  you'll  see  'em." 

"If  we  see  them  try  it,"  said  Altman, 
"  what  then  ?" 

"  Drop  'em  as  quick  as  you  can  take  aim ; 
if  I  hear  a  gun  I'll  know  what  it  means,  and 
will  see  that  they  don't  work  any  tricks  on 
me." 

"Suppose,"  remarked  Mr.  Ashbridge,  ex- 
pressing the  thought  that  was  in  the  mind  of 
every  one,  "  that  instead  of  you  it  is  The  Pan- 
ther who  comes  back  from  the  splintered  oak 
— what's  to  become  of  us  ?" 

"It  won't  be  The  Panther  that'll  come  back." 


BY  THE  SPLINTERED  OAK.  297 

Self-confidence  is  a  good  thing,  but  the 
friends  of  the  scout  had  less  faith  than  they 
desired  in  the  declaration  of  the  scout. 

"Younker,  you'll  take  me  ashore  first," 
said  Kenton,  addressing  George  Ashbridge, 
"  then  you'll  come  back  and  take  him." 

A  simpler  method  would  have  been  for  the 
two  combatants  to  make  the  trip  together ;  but 
the  ranger  had  his  own  reason  for  the  ar- 
rangement named.  He  wished  the  canoe  to 
be  left  beside  the  flatboat,  where  it  would  be 
at  the  command  of  his  friends,  and  in  no 
other  Avay  could  this  be  done. 

"  All  right ;  I'm  ready,"  replied  the  youth. 

"  Can't  I  be  ob  some  usefulness  to  de  parties 
dat  am  obscerned  ?"  asked  Jethro,  not  liking 
his  total  eclipse  ;  "  yo'  see  dat  heathen  might 
try  to  jam  one  ob  his  feet  in  Marse  George's 
mouf,  and  I  know  how  to  handle  him  if  he 
tries  dat." 

"  You  can  be  of  use  by  keeping  quiet  and 
doing  nothing  you  are  not  told  to  do,"  said 
his  master,  sternly. 

*'  Berry  well ;  I  never  was  disappreciated," 
replied    the    African,    retiring    behind    the 


298  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

group,  who  were  too  intently  interested  for 
words. 

Simon  Kenton  was  a  man  of  action.  He 
stepped  over  the  gunwale,  armed  only  with 
his  knife,  which  was  thrust  in  his  girdle.  He 
took  up  the  paddle,  w^ith  young  Ashbridge, 
rifle  in  hand,  watching  him. 

A  few  strokes  carried  them  ashore,  no  word 
being  spoken  on  the  way. 

"Now  go  back  and  bring  The  Panther," 
directed  the  scout,  placing  his  foot  on  the 
land,  "and  keep  your  eye  open  for  squalls. 
Kemember,  if  any  of  the  varmints  start  to 
leave  the  house,  pick  him  off  afore  he  can  take 
two  steps." 

"  Dej^end  upon  us  for  doing  our  best." 

And  the  youth  started  back  for  the  flat- 
boat,  where  his  friends  and  the  single  enemy 
awaited  him. 

The  Shawanoe  seemed  to  recover  the  full 
use  of  his  limbs  the  moment  he  was  released. 
He  stood  apart,  near  the  stern  of  the  craft, 
with  arms  folded,  sternly  watching  the  canoe, 
while  the  pioneers  were  grouped  at  the  front. 

George  Ashbridge  shied  the  smaller  craft 


BY  THE  SPLINTEEED  OAK.  299 

beside  the  larger  one,  bringing  it  broadside 
to,  and  nodded  to  The  Panther  to  step  in. 

"  I've  got  to  handle  the  paddle,"  added  the 
youth,  addressing  his  father  and  Mr.  Altman. 
''  Be  ready  to  shoot  if  he  tries  any  dodge  on 
me." 

"  Have  no  fear  on  that  score,"  replied  the 
father,  compressing  his  lips. 

If  The  Panther  contemplated  any  thin  g  of 
the  kind  he  reconsidered  his  purpose.  He 
sat  grim  and  immovable  during  the  short  pas- 
sage, while  young  Ashbridge,  keeping  his  face 
toward  him,  manipulated  the  paddle  and 
never  took  his  eye  for  more  than  a  second 
from  his  repellant  countenance. 

The  moment  the  boat  touched  shore  the 
chieftain  rose,  stepped  out,  and  strode  in  the 
direction  taken  a  few  minutes  before  by  Ken- 
ton. George  hurriedly  paddled  back  to  the 
flatboat  and  rejoined  his  friends. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  can't  help  believing 
they  mean  to  play  some  trick  on  Kenton,  but 
he  can  take  care  of  himself,  if  he  has  only 
The  Panther  to  deal  with.  Let's  make  sure 
that  none  of  the  Shawanoes  leave  the  cabin." 


300  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  I  rather  wish  they  would  try  it,"  remarked 
Altman,  "  for  it  will  give  us  a  fine  chance  to 
pick  them  off.  At  times  like  this  every  one 
counts,  you  know." 

Meanwhile,  the  ranger,  plunging  into  the 
woods  bordering  the  clearing,  made  his  way 
straight  to  the  splintered  oak,  where  The 
Panther  had  promised  to  meet  him  in  mor- 
tal combat.  It  was  not  far,  but  the  forest 
abounded  with  undergrowth,  and  the  vegeta- 
tion was  so  dense  that  Kenton  disappeared 
almost  immediately  from  sight. 

Arrived  at  the  rendezvous,  the  scout  closed 
his  fingers  around  the  buckhorn  handle  of 
his  knife,  so  that  it  could  be  whipped  out  like 
a  flash,  and  faced  toward  the  clearing,  eager, 
expectant,  and  with  his  self-confidence  dimin- 
ished not  an  iota. 


A  SLIP  SOMEWHEER  301 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A    SLIP    SOMEWHERE. 

IT  has  been  stated  that  the  splintered  oak 
where  the  Caucasian  and  the  American 
were  to  meet  in  deadly  combat,  was  about  one 
hundred  yards  below  the  clearing  in  which 
the  cabin  stood.  This  brief  distance  was 
quickly  passed  by  Simon  Kenton,  who  took  his 
station,  armed  only  with  his  hunting-knife, 
and  with  his  back  almost  touching  the  huge 
trunk  that  had  been  shattered  by  a  bolt  from 
heaven. 

It  was  a  fitting  scene  for  the  tragedy  that 
impended — the  spot  where  heaven's  wrath  had 
manifested  itself.  The  surrounding  vegeta- 
tion and  undergrowth  were  dense,  and  the 
keenest  vision  could  penetrate  but  a  short  dis- 
tance in  any  direction. 

Only  those  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
great  scout  would  have  noted  any  change  in 


302  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

his  face  or  demeanor.  His  thin  lips  were 
compressed  perha23S  a  little  more  closely  than 
usual,  and  the  blue  eyes  showed  a  steely,  glit- 
tering light,  rarely  present  except  on  occa- 
sions of  great  excitement. 

Not  a  nerve  trembled,  however.  He  was 
as  cool  as  when  he  stood  at  the  bow  of  the 
flatboat,  and  it  was  drifting  down  the  Ohio. 
His  muscles  were  set,  and  he  was  strung  to 
the  highest  possible  point  of  resolution. 

Well  aware  of  the  cat-like  subtlely  and 
treachery  of  his  enemy,  he  was  on  the  alert 
for  the  first  move  from  him.  It  looked  im- 
possible for  the  wily  Shawanoe  to  steal  upon 
him  unawares. 

"  I  hope  he'll  come,"  muttered  Kenton,  as 
the  minutes  slipped  by ;  "  we've  both  been 
looking  for  this  chance,  and  we'll  never  get 
a  better  one.  He  can't  have  any  of  the  other 
varmints  to  help  him,  and  he  knows  I 
wouldn't  have  any  of  mine  if  there  was  a 
hundred  in  call.     It's  time  he  was  here." 

Standing  alone  in  the  depth  of  the  wood, 
Kenton  could  calculate  to  a  minute  when  The 
Panther  was  due.   Young  Ashbridge  had  only 


A  SLIP  SOMEWHEEE.  303 

to  return  to  the  flatboat  and  then  brins:  him 
ashore,  after  which  the  chieftain  had  but 
the  brief  distance  to  walk  to  the  shattered 
oak. 

Yes,  it  was  time  he  arrived.  The  scout 
could  think  of  nothing  to  hinder  or  prevent 
his  coming  on  time,  but  five  minutes  beyond 
that  limit  had  already  jDassed,  and  the  wiry, 
serpent-like  form  of  the  chieftain  had  failed 
to  emerge  from  the  circling  undergrowth  into 
the  slight  natural  clearing. 

The  scout  listened  closely,  but  he  depended 
on  his  sight  alone,  for  the  Shawanoe,  like  the 
rest  of  his  warriors,  was  "  shod  with  silence  " 
when  engaged  in  enterprises  like  this,  and 
could  steal  upon  a  foe  without  the  slightest 
sound. 

Ten  minutes  more  went  by,  and  still  The 
Panther  was  invisible. 

An  expression  of  unutterable  disgust  passed 
over  the  face  of  the  ranger,  for  he  read  the 
meaning  aright.  Wa-on-mon  would  not 
come ;  it  was  idle  to  wait  longer  for  him. 

Had  Kenton  been  acquainted  with  modern 
speech,  he  would  have  expressed  the  situation 


304  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

in  the  single  expression :  "  The  Panther  has 
flunked." 

Now,  this  would  have  been  acceiDted  in  the 
light  of  a  compliment  by  most  people  in  the 
situation  of  the  ranger,  but  the  exasperating 
fact  about  the  Shawanoe's  failure  to  come  to 
time  was  that  it  meant  much  more  than  ap- 
peared to  be  the  case. 

In  the  first  place,  the  dusky  miscreant  was 
one  of  the  bravest  of  his  race.  He  did  not 
hold  any  white  man  in  personal  fear,  and  had 
proved  himself  the  superior  of  most  of  them 
in  more  than  one  deadly  encounter  in  the  re- 
cesses of  the  wilderness. 

He  was  not  afraid  of  Kenton.  He  spoke 
with  "  a  single  tongue  "  when  he  declared  he 
was  eager  to  meet  the  ranger  in  mortal  con- 
flict. The  self-confidence  of  one  was  no 
greater  than  that  of  the  other.  But  the  scout 
dreaded  the  very  thing  that  had  come  to  pass. 
Not  a  minute  was  to  be  lost  in  checkmating 
the  cunning  chieftain. 

The  throbbing  solicitude  of  the  friends  on 
the  flatboat  possibly  may  be  imagined.  Feel- 
ing was  too  deep  for  words.   Mabel  sat  by  her 


A  SLIP  SOMEWHEEE.  305 

mother  and  Agnes  by  her  parent,  all  pale  and 
silent,  while  the  men  stood  here  and  there, 
each  grasping  his  gun  and  on  the  alert.  Even 
Jethro  Juggens  was  weighed  down  by  the 
solemn  gravity  that  oppressed  all,  and  asked 
himself  whether  he  could  not  do  something  to 
help  matters.  He  dreaded  the  wrath  of  his 
master,  however,  too  greatly  to  venture  upon 
any  essay  without  his  permission.  Like  the 
rest,  he  could  only  await  the  issue  of  events. 

The  main  duty  of  the  pioneers  was  to  hold 
the  cabin  under  surveillance.  It  has  been  ex- 
plained that  the  narrowness  of  the  windows 
left  the  front  door  the  only  means  of  ingress 
and  egress ;  consequently,  if  Girty  or  any  of 
the  Shawanoes  attempted  to  depart,  he  must 
come  under  the  fire  of  the  watchers,  every  one 
of  whom  would  seize  the  chance  of  bringing 
down  an  enemy. 

"  Father,"  said  Agnes,  in  a  low  voice, 
"  have  you  noticed  that  window  on  the  right 
of  the  door,  but  above  it  and  near  the  corner 
of  the  house  ?" 

"  I  observe  nothing  in  it  different  from  the 
other  windows." 

20 


306  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE, 

"  Some  one  is  peeping  out ;  I  have  had  a 
glimpse  of  him  several  times." 

"  Dat's  so,"  added  Jethro  ;  "  I've  observed 
the  same,  and  once  he  winked  his  eye  at  me — 
seed  him  plain." 

The  girl  having  thus  directed  attention  to 
the  opening,  every  one  watched  it  more 
closely  than  before.  A  few  minutes  sufficed 
to  prove  Agnes  right.  Something  resembling  a 
flickering  shadow  left  no  doubt  that  one  or 
two  of  the  inmates  had  selected  for  some 
cause  that  outlook. 

"  It  would  be  mighty  easy  to  wing  one  of 
those  Shawanoes,"  remarked  young  Ash- 
bridge,  nervously  handling  his  gun,  as  if 
asking  permission  to  try  his  hand  at  it. 

"  No  doubt,  but  it  won't  do,  for  it  would  be 
a  violation  of  our  agreement  with  them." 

*'  I  wonder  whether  they  will  break  any  of 
their  pledges  with  us?" 

"  They  will  break  them  all  if  they  gain  the 
chance,  but  this  is  no  justification  of  wrong 
on  our  part.  The  only  excuse  we  can  have 
for  firing  is  the  discovery  that  some  decep- 
tion is  attempted  on  Kenton,  or  the  sight  of 


A  SLIP  SOMEWHERE.  307 

one  of  the  Shawanoes  coming  frona  the  front 
of  the  house." 

While  the  words  were  in  the  mouth  of  the 
ekler  Ashbridge,  the  door  of  the  cabin  was 
abruptly  drawn  inward  half-way,  an  Indian 
warrior  leaped  into  view,  and  started  like  a 
deer  across  the  clearing  toward  the  splintered 
oak,  where  The  Panther  and  Kenton  had 
agreed  to  meet  in  mortal  combat. 

The  sight  was  so  unexpected  that  the  pio- 
neers were  speechless  for  a  moment.  Then 
they  awoke  from  their  spell.  The  sharp  crack 
of  a  rifle  rang  out,  the  Indian  bounded  high 
in  the  air  with  a  loud  outcry,  partly  fell,  re- 
covered himself,  and  then  limped  hurriedly 
back  to  the  door,  through  which  he  plunged 
from  sight. 

And  who  fired  the  shot  that  nipped  the 
little  scheme  in  the  bud  ?  Jethro  Juofsens, 
than  whom  there  was  no  better  marksman  in 
the  entire  company.  The  daring  Shawanoe 
could  not  have  reached  the  shelter  of  the 
wood  under  any  circumstances,  for  at  the  in- 
stant the  African  let  fly  George  Ashbridge 
and  his  father,  as  well  as  Mr.  Altman,  were 


308  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

in  the  act  of  raising  their  pieces.  Among  the 
three  the  Shawanoe  coukl  not  have  gotten 
off  as  well  as  he  did  at  the  hands  of  Jethro 
Juggens. 

"  'Spose  he  thought  he'd  slid  out  dar  whar 
Mr.  Kenton  hab  gone  and  choke  him  to  de 
def  like  he  tried  to  choke  me  by  jamming 
his  foot  in  my  mouf,  but  he  won't  do  it  now." 

"  That  was  a  good  shot  of  yours,"  remarked 
Mr.  Altman;  "you  were  quicker  than  any 
of  us.     But  you  know  the  rule." 

"  Reckon  I  does,"  remarked  the  grinning 
Jethro,  aware  that  his  employer  referred  to 
the  law  of  the  hunter,  to  the  effect  that  the 
first  thing  to  be  done  after  firing  a  gun  is  in- 
stantly to  load  again,  so  as  to  be  ready  for 
any  emergency.  The  African,  therefore,  pro- 
ceeded to  make  his  rifle  ready  for  further 
service. 

*'  Did  you  try  to  kill  the  Indian  ?"  asked 
Mr.  Ashbridge,  sharing  in  the  admiration  of 
the  negro's  skill. 

"War  he  killed?"  asked  Jethro,  pompously. 

"  Of  course  not,  for  he  was  able  to  go  back 
to  the  house  and  pass  through  the  door." 


A  SLIP  SOMEWHEEE.  309 

"Den  you  question  am  obficiently  an- 
swered. If  I  ]iad  wanted  to  drop  him  I'd 
done  it,  but  all  I  war  after  war  to  stop  his 
running ;  did  I  do  dat,  Mr.  Ashbridge  ?" 

"  It  certainly  has  that  look." 

"I  understood  from  Mr.  Kenton  dat  we 
war  to  keep  dem  heathen  from  running  away 
from  de  house  ;  am  I  kerrect,  gemmen  ?" 

"  There,  you  have  said  enough,"  interrupted 
Mr.  Altman,  "  finish  reloading  your  gun  and 
the  next  time  shoot  to  kill." 

"  Eery  well ;  consider  dat  de  second  Injin 
dat  tries  dat  game  am  already  chasin'  deer  in 
his  happy  huntin'  grounds." 

"Sh !  yonder  is  Kenton  !"  exclaimed  Agnes 
Altman,  in  an  excited  undertone. 

All  saw  the  ranger  standing  on  the  edge 
of  the  river,  just  below  the  clearing  where  the 
undergrowth  hid  him  from  the  sight  of  the 
Shawanoes  in  the  cabin. 

"  Thank  God !  he  has  won  !"  was  the  fer- 
vent exclamation  of  Mr.  Altman. 

"  He  is  making  motions  to  us !"  said  the 
younger  Ashbridge;  "hark!  he  is  saying 
something." 


310  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  ranger  placed  his  hand  beside  his 
mouth  to  guide  his  voice,  and  called  in  a 
guarded  undertone : 

"  H'ist  the  anchor  quick,  and  dro^^  down 
opposite  me." 

Without  pausing  to  ask  for  any  explana- 
tion, Jethro  Juggens  dropped  his  gun  and 
seized  the  rope  fastened  to  the  large  stone  at 
the  bottom  of  the  river.  The  flatboat  began 
slowly  drifting  down  stream,  and  quickly 
arrived  023posite  the  scout. 

"  Now  anchor  agin  !"  he  added  ;  "  don't 
lose  any  time ;  things  are  getting  warm." 

The  stone  splashed  into  the  water  and  the 
bulky  craft  came  to  a  standstill  by  the  time  it 
was  fairly  under  way. 

"  Come  ashore,  all  of  you,  in  the  canoe." 

The  flatboat,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind, 
was  out  of  the  field  of  vision  of  the  Shaw- 
anoes,  but  there  was  no  saying  how  long  it 
would  remain  so. 

"  Who  shall  come  first  ?"  asked  young  Ash- 
bridge. 

*'  The  men  ;  leave  the  women  folks  last." 

The  canoe  sank  to  its  gunwales  with  the 


A  SLIP  SOMEWHEEE.  311 

weight  of  the  four  men,  but  the  distance  was 
short,  and  the  surface  of  the  Ohio  as  calm  as 
that  of  a  mill  pond. 

"  Now  go  back  and  bring  the  women," 
added  Kenton  to  young  Ashbridge,  who,  with- 
out a  word,  did  as  he  was  told. 

"  Let  me  congratulate  you,"  remarked  Mr. 
Altman,  extending  his  hand. 

"  On  what  ?"  demanded  Kenton. 

"  On  conquering  the  Shawanoe  chieftain, 
The  Panther." 

"  Faugh  !  he  run  away  ;  I  haven't  seed  hide 
or  hair  of  him." 

"It's  just  as  well,  for  he's  out  of  the  question." 

"There's  where  you're  mistook;  that's  just 
the  trouble,  and  that's  why  I'm  fetching  you 
ashore." 

"To  do  what?" 

"To  cajDture  the  varmints  in  the  cabin. 
There's  only  five  of  'em,  and  one  of  'em  is 
hit  hard,  as  I  happened  to  see." 

"  I  'spose  you  observed  who  it  war  dat 
plugged  him,  Mr.  Kenton.     If  you  didn't — " 

"Silence!"  interrupted  Mr.  Altman,  "don't 
speak  till  you  are  asked  a  question." 


312  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  You  done  well,  younker,"  remarked  the 
scout  of  Jethro,  who  grinned  with  delight 
and  chuckled  at  the  next  remark  :  "  if  you'd 
wanted  to  kill  him,  you'd  done  it,  too.  What 
I  set  out  to  say  was  that  we're  stronger  than 
them  varmints  in  there,  and  we  must  drive 
'em  out.     Here  are  the  women !" 

The  mothers  and  two  daughters  stepped 
upon  land.  This  completed  the  party.  No 
one  was  left  on  the  flatboat. 

"Now,"  explained  Kenton,  "the  women 
will  stay  right  here  where  they  be  ;  if  danger 
takes  a  shape  that  they're  to  go  back  on  the 
flatboat,  I'll  see  that  they  get  there  in  time. 
We've  got  to  leave  you  to  yourselves  for  a 
while." 

"  And  what  do  you  and  the  rest  intend  to 
do  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Altman,  all  listening  eagerly 
for  the  reply  of  Kenton. 

"We're  going  to  surround  the  cabin  and 
drive  out  the  varmints;  it's  got  to  be  done 
purty  quick  or  it  won't  be  done  at  all.  Come 
on,  boys," 

Kenton  led  the  way,  and  all  the  men  fol- 
lowed. 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGEES.  313 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

BESIEGED    AXD    BESIEGEES. 

SIMON  KENTON  had  set  out  to  play 
what  might  be  termed  a  daring  game  of 
bluff. 

With  far  more  quickness  than  would  be 
suj^posed,  he  stationed  his  men  in  the  best 
possible  position.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
the  cabin  faced  the  Ohio,  which  just  there  fol- 
lowed a  course  almost  due  east  and  west.  Mr. 
Altman  was  placed  among  the  trees  to  the 
west  of  the  clearing,  or  down  stream ;  Mr. 
Ashbridge  on  the  eastern  side,  or  up  stream ; 
the  scout  and  young  Ashbridge  on  the 
northern  side,  or  real  front  of  the  building, 
where  the  space  was  open,  while  Jethro  Jug- 
gens  was  located  among  the  trees  at  the  rear 
or  to  the  south  of  the  cabin. 

"Now,"  said  the  scout  to  each  party  in 
turn,  "the  minute  you  catch  sight  of  one  of 


314  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  varmints  send  a  bullet  through  him  to  a 
dead  certainty.  There  are  only  four,  without 
counting  the  white  man,  that  amount  to  any- 
thing. If  we  can  pick  off  one  or  two  we'll 
make  a  rush  and  take  the  house  in  spite  of 
'em." 

These  instructions  were  impressed  upon  all 
so  plainly  that  there  was  no  room  for  misun- 
derstanding. Even  Jethro  Juggens  compre- 
hended them,  and  secretly  resolved  that  from 
his  position  he  himself  would  slay  the  whole 
four  Shawanoes  and  then  stride  through  the 
door. 

In  making  the  disposition  of  the  forces  as 
described,  Kenton  had  a  clearly  defined  object 
in  view. 

Since  the  front  was  commanded  by  him  and 
young  Ashbridge,  the  most  important  duty 
devolved  upon  the  two.  The  scout  placed 
great  confidence  in  the  youth.  In  fact,  the 
others  were  not  likely  to  have  anything  to  do 
beyond  watching  for  a  shot  at  the  Indians 
who  had  taken  possession  of  the  cabin.  What- 
ever decisive  action  resulted  must  be  on  the 
northern  side,  in  front  of  the  entrance,  which, 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGERS.  315 

as  explained,  was  commanded  by  Kenton  and 
young  Aslibridge. 

To  reach  a  point  of  observation,  the  two 
had  to  steal  along  the  bottom  of  the  slope  upon 
their  hands  and  knees.  Having  succeeded  in 
this,  they  halted  for  a  brief  consultation. 

For  the  first  time  the  scout  explained  the 
meaning  of  what  had  taken  place. 

"  So  The  Panther  showed  the  white  feather, 
did  he?"  was  the  opening  remark  of  the 
youth,  as  they  lay  flat  on  the  ground,  where, 
by  raising  their  heads  a  few  inches,  they 
could  observe  the  whole  front  of  the  cabin. 

*'  It  looks  that  way ;  but,  younker,  I  want 
you  to  understand  one  thing ;  that  infernal 
Shawanoe  ain't  afeared  of  any  white  man 
above  ground.  Him  and  me  has  got  to  meet 
yet  and  have  it  out." 

"  Why  did  he  not  do  so  when  he  was  given 
the  chance?" 

"  'Cause  he.made  up  his  mind  he  could  do 
a  powerful  sight  better.  'Spose,  now,  him  and 
me  had  had  a  font;  he  was  sartin  of  taking 
my  skulp,  but  he  knowed  that  afore  he  could 
do  that  he  would  git  a  few  scratches  himself; 


316  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

like  'nough  he'd  be  so  cut  up  lie  wouldn't  be 
able  to  help  hisself;  consequently  he'd  be 
useless  for  a  while." 

"What  can  he  accomplish  by  running 
away  ?" 

"  His  idee  is  this :  He  believes  there's  a 
large  war  party  of  Shawanoes  or  Wyandots 
not  far  off,  and  he's  making  the  tallest  kind 
of  tracks  to  find  'em.  When  he  does,  he'll 
bring  'em  back  as  fast  as  they  kin  travel 
through  the  woods.  If  he  arrives  soon  the 
only  chance  for  us  is  to  do  the  tallest  travel- 
ing we  kin,  and  even  then  the  prospect  will 
be  powerful  agin  us." 

"  In  other  words,"  remarked  the  frightened 
youth,  "  instead  of  being  satisfied  with  taking 
your  scalp,  he  means  to  kill  us  all." 

"  You  hit  the  nail  on  the  head  that  time. 
That's  his  idee." 

"  But  suppose  he  had  conquered  you. 
Could  he  not  have  signaled  to  those  in  the 
cabin,  if  he  was  unable  to  reach  them,  and 
send  one  of  them  after  the  reinforcements  ? 
That  would  have  accomplished  the  same 
thing,  and  put  you  out  of  the  way." 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGEKS.  317 

"  That  sounds  reasonable,  and  I  was  hoping 
The  Panther  would  take  the  same  view,  but 
he  didn't.  None  of  his  warriors  can  travel 
as  fast  as  him,  and  none  of  'em  know  how  to 
hunt  for  the  war  party  as  he  does.  He  may  be 
right  and  he  may  be  wrong,  but  if  he  brings 
'em  down  here  afore  we  kin  get  possession 
we've  got  to  do  some  tall  traveling  to  keep 
out  of  their  clutches." 

"But,  Kenton,"  said  the  youth,  earnestly, 
"  you  are  running  a  fearful  risk,  not  for  our- 
selves alone,  but  for  mother  and  Mabel  and 
for  Mrs.  Altman  and  Agnes." 

"  How  are  we  going  to  help  it  ?" 

"  Let's  leave  the  neighborhood  at  once  and 
start  for  the  block-house  up  the  river ;  it's 
only  ten  miles  off." 

"  And  them  varmints  will  overhaul  us  afore 
we  get  half-way  there." 

"  Not  if  we  wait  till  night  before  we  start, 
for  they  won't  be  able  to  trail  us.  You  can 
take  the  women  in  the  canoe,  while  we  follow 
on  foot  and  swim  the  river." 

"That's  what  we'll  do  if  things  don't 
brighten  up  afore  night." 


318  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  But  our  situation  will  be  hopeless  if  they 
arrive  while  we  are  scattered  in  this  man- 
ner through  the  woods  and  around  the  clear- 
ing." 

"  If  they  do  come,"  said  Kenton,  who  had 
considered  every  argument  his  companion 
brought  forward,  "  I'll  find  it  out  in  time  and 
will  get  the  folks  back  on  the  flatboat.  Then 
we'll  figger  out  the  next  step." 

"  And  are  we  to  hang  around  in  this  fash- 
ion till  night,  waiting  for  something  to  turn 
up?" 

''  Not  by  a  big  majority  ;  something's  going 
to  turn  up  now." 

Although  the  scout  had  not  explained  one 
point,  it  should  be  stated  that  he  regarded  a 
certain  contingency  as  quite  probable.  AVith 
himself  and  friends  guarding  all  sides  of  the 
cabin,  one  or  two  ought  to  be  able  to  gain  a 
fair  shot  at  the  Shawanoes.  Should  this  occur, 
they  would  be  so  weakened  that  Kenton  would 
insist  upon  a  rush  and  hand-to-hand  conflict 
within  the  cabin.  Furthermore,  if  it  took 
place,  it  was  most  likely  to  ha^Dpen  within  a 
few  hours. 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGEES.  319 

The  youtli  wished  to  ask  more  questions, 
especially  as  to  the  prospects,  if  he  and  his 
friends  gained  possession  of  the  cabin.  The 
Panther,  he  believed,  would  return  with  the 
war  party  and  besiege  the  building.  The  de- 
fenders would  be  too  strong  to  be  captured 
by  a  force  ten  times  as  numerous  as  their  own, 
but  provisions  would  not  last  forever,  and  the 
assailants  would  be  inspired  by  the  strongest 
of  all  motives — revenge. 

But  George  refrained.  The  talk  might  go 
on  forever.  It  was  sufficient  to  know  that 
Kenton  prepared  himself  to  meet  the  new 
conditions  as  they  presented  themselves.  Be- 
sides, he  was  about  to  attempt  something  he 
had  in  mind. 

Suddenly,  the  scout  leaped  from  the  ground 
to  his  full  height,  and  looking  toward  the 
cabin,  waved  his  cap  above  his  head  and  ut- 
tered a  shout  of  exultation.  His  action  must 
have  caused  a  sensation  among  theShawanoes, 
for  it  was  the  first  evidence  that  had  come  to 
them  of  the  result  of  the  meeting  between  the 
ran2;er  and  The  Panther. 

Carefully  raising  his  head  high  enough  to 


320  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

look  over  the  slojoe,  young  Aslibridge  watclied 
the  result. 

Silence  reigned  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
Girty  called  from  one  of  the  upper  windows : 

"  Whar's  the  sculp  of  Wa-on-mon  ?" 

"I  left  it  on  his  head,"  was  the  truthful 
reply. 

"  The  agreement  war  that  you  war  to  bring 
it  to  us." 

"  I  don't  trust  your  varmints  that  fur  ;  it's 
'nough,  ain't  it,  for  you  to  know  that  I've  got 
mine  on  my  crown  ?" 

"  No ;  that  won't  do.  Show  us  the  skulp 
of  The  Panther,  and  then  we'll  leave  the 
cabin  to  you,"  said  the  renegade,  speaking  for 
his  companions. 

An  impossibility  was  required  of  Simon 
Kenton,  but  he  expected  it  and  was  pre- 
pared. 

"  Send  one  of  your  warriors  out  here  to 
git  it." 

"  We  hain't  any  warrior  that  wants  to  lose 
his  own  skulp,  and  we  won't  trust  ourselves 
in  your  power." 

"  Then  you  can't  expect  me  to  do  the  same 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGERS.  321 

"with  you.     I  won't  go  any  nearer  the  cabin 
till  we  drive  you  out," 

^     "  Drive  us  out,"  repeated  Girty,  contemp- 
tuously ;  "  come  and  try  it." 

"  Wal,  we'll  bold  you  in  there  till  you'll 
beg  to  come  out." 

"All  ridit— be^in." 

"  AVe  have  begun  ;  look  out  for  yourselves 
from  this  time  forrard."    - 

As  he  spoke,  the  ranger  dropped  to  the 
ground  almost  as  suddenly  as  he  had  leaped 
to  his  feet.  It  was  well  he  did  so,  for  from 
the  same  window  the  voice  had  come  rang 
the  report  of  a  rifle,  accompanied  by  a  blue 
jet  of  smoke.  The  bullet  whistled  over  the 
spot  where  the  scout  was  standing  only  a  sec- 
ond before,  and  striking  the  surface  of  the 
river,  skimmed  and  skipped  clean  across, 
burying  itself  among  the  leaves  on  the  Ohio 
shore. 

"You  had  a  narrow  escape,"  remarked 
young  Ashbridge. 

"  The  shot  did  come  rather  close,  but  so 
long  as  it  missed,  what's  the  odds  ?" 

"  That  was  fired  by  that  white  man  ;  I  con- 

21 


322  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

sider  him  worse  than  the  savages  among  whom 
he  lives,  for  he  knows  better,  while  some  of 
them  do  not." 

Kenton  made  no  reply  to  this  remark,  and 
the  youth  added : 

"  It's  a  pity  we  didn't  shoot  him  yesterday 
on  the  flatboat ;  I  hope  I  shall  have  a  chance 
to  draw  bead  on  him." 

Still  the  ranger  held  his  peace. 

"  Father  and  Mr.  Altman  and  Jethro  will 
understand  the  meaning  of  that  shot,  won't 
they  ?" 

"  It's  not  sartin,  but  what  difference  does  it 
make?  They've  been  told  to  shoot  when- 
ever they  see  a  chance  of  hitting  something ; 
we'll  do  the  same  on  this  side,  and,  as  I 
obsarved  some  time  ago,  if  we  can  thin  'em 
out  a  little,  why  we'll  make  a  rush  for  the 
door." 

"  It's  too  strong  to  be  battered  in." 

"  Not  if  you  take  the  right  means  to  do  it." 

*'  I'm  ready  to  join  you  at  any  time,  but  it 
will  be  risky  business." 

"  The  whole  business  is  risky ;  if  we  don't 
get  them  varmints  out  of  there  before  night, 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGEES.  823 

we  must  strike  a  bee-line  for  the  block- 
house. The  way  I've  figgered,  younker,  is 
that  The  Panther  can't  bring  the  war  party 
here  till  sundown,  and,  afore  that  comes,  I 
hope  Girty  and  the  varmints  will  be  glad  to 
leave." 

At  the  distance  separating  Kenton  and 
Girty,  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  arrive  at 
any  understanding.  If  it  was  the  renegade 
who  fired  the  shot  at  the  moment  the  scout 
dropped  to  the  ground,  it  is  hardly  likely  he 
would  have  been  pierced  had  he  kept  his  feet, 
but  the  incident  served  to  make  Girty  "  solid  " 
with  his  companions,  who  knew  of  the  former 
friendship  between  the  two. 

As  for  young  Ashbridge  and  the  other  i^io- 
neers,  none  of  them  suspected  the  truth. 

The  incident  was  fair  notice  to  both  sides 
that  the  armistice  was  at  an  end ;  henceforth, 
it  was  bitter  war  to  the  end. 

"Younker,"  remarked  Kenton,  after  a  few 
minutes  spent  in  close  scrutiny  of  the  front 
of  the  cabin,  *'  I  don't  think  there's  much 
show  for  either  of  us  getting  a  shot  from  this 
side." 


324  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Why  not  ?" 

"  They  know  I'm  here,  and  will  keep  closer 
watch  than  anywhere  else,  or  rather  will  keep 
more  out  of  sight." 

"  How  would  it  do  for  you  to  make  a  circuit 
of  the  clearing?" 

"  I'll  do  that  purty  soon  if  some  of  the 
folks  don't  drop  a  varmint.  We  ain't  both 
needed  here;  the  women  are  lonely,  as  we 
had  to  leave  'em  in  a  hurry ;  go  over  and  talk 
to  your  mother  and  sister  and  Mrs.  Altman, 
and,"  added  the  scout  significantly,  "  to 
Agnes ;  she's  a  powerful  nice  gal,  and  they'll 
be  glad  to  have  you." 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  suggestion ;  I'll  go  ; 
when  you  need  me  give  me  a  whistle." 

The  youth  cautiously  stole  along  the  foot 
of  the  slope,  under  the  slight  bank,  until  he 
reached  his  friends. 

It  was  at  that  juncture  that  the  report  of 
a  rifle  was  heard  by  all.  It  came  from  the 
woods  at  the  rear  of  the  clearing  and  cabin. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  !"  muttered  the  astonished 
Kenton,  "  if  that  shot  wasn't  from  the  rifle  of 
that  black  younker !" 


BESIEGED  AND  BESIEGERS.  325 

Sucli  was  the  fact,  and  strange  it  was  that 
the  most  striking  experience  of  any  member 
of  the  company,  after  landing  from  tlie  flat- 
boat,  should  come  to  Jethro  Juggeus. 


326  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


I 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

JETHEO    JUGGENS   ON   GUAED. 

T  will  be  remembered  that  when  Simon 
Kenton  placed  his  friends  so  as  to  sur- 
round the  clearing  in  which  stood  the  cabin 
temporarily  occupied  by  the  renegade  and 
Shawanoes,  he  assigned  the  southern  side,  or 
rear,  to  Jethro  Juggens. 

The  pioneer  had  considerable  faith  in  the 
marksmanship  of  the  African  youth — not 
alone  because  of  the  proof  he  saw  him  give 
(for  that  might  have  been  a  chance  shot)  — 
but  because  young  Ashbridge  had  told  him 
of  the  exceptional  skill  of  the  colored  youth. 

But  the  ranger  had  no  faith  at  all  in  the 
judgment  of  Jethro  Juggens.  In  assigning 
him,  therefore,  to  protect  the  rear,  as  ma}''  be 
said,  he  did  so  believing  he  would  be  beyond 
the  danger  of  complicating  matters. 

Jethro  found  himself  alone  where  the  un- 


JETHRO  JUGGENS  ON  GUARD.  327 

dergrowtli  was  so  sparse  that  he  had  plenty- 
freedom  of  movement.  Kenton  cautioned 
him  to  keep  well  back  among  the  trees,  warn- 
ing him  that  he  would  be  fired  upon  the  mo- 
ment he  was  seen  by  any  one  in  the  building, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  if  he  saw  a  head  he  was 
to  do  his  best  to  hit  it. 

"  Dar's  one  little  mistake  Mr.  Kenton  hab 
made,"  reflected  Jethro,  after  holding  his 
position  awhile;  "he  tinks  I'm  afeard  ob 
dem  heathen.  He  has  put  me  way  back  here 
so  as  to  save  me  from  gettin'  shot.  He  don't 
know  me ;  Mr.  Kenton  means  well  and  am 
a  purty  nice  chap,  but  he  don't  know  ebery- 
ting." 

With  which  sage  conclusion  the  African 
deliberately  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the 
clearing,  and  took  shelter  behind  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  large  enough  to  screen  a  person  of 
double  his  size. 

"  Now,  all  I  asks  am  dat  dey  will  gib  me  a 
show,"  he  added,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  the  rear 
of  the  cabin,  and  glancing  to  each  of  the  four 
narrow  windows  in  turn.  "  Ob  course,  I  can't 
shoot  one  of  de  varmints,  as  Mr.  Kenton  calls 


328  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

'em,  onless  he  gibs  me  a  chance,  and  I  hopes 
if  dey  am  heathen,  dey'll  be  gemmen  'nough 
to  do  dat." 

When  the  shot  was  fired  from  the  other 
side  of  the  structure,  Jethro  was  uncertain 
from  the  report  whether  it  was  discharged  by 
a  friend  or  enemy.  He  was  glad,  however,  to 
hear  it,  for  it  betokened  *'  business." 

It  probably  was  the  fact  that  the  garrison 
of  the  cabin  were  unaware  that  they  were 
surrounded  by  the  pioneers.  The  only  one 
that  had  shown  himself  was  Kenton,  who 
had  not  returned  the  shot  fired  at  him.  The 
notice  of  the  state  of  affairs  came  to  the 
Shawanoes  in  the  most  startling  manner  con- 
ceivable. 

Jethro  had  held  his  erect  position  behind 
the  trunk  long  enough  to  become  impatient. 
He  muttered  his  complaints  more  than  once 
at  the  timidity,  or  rather  meanness  of  the 
heathen,  in  not  affording  him  a  chance  to  dis- 
play his  marksmanship. 

All  at  once,  a  painted  warrior  appeared  at 
the  lower  window,  and  looked  out  upon  the 
woods  in  the  rear  of  the  clearing.     He  could 


JETHEO  JUGGENS  ON  GUARD.  329 

have  had  no  thought  of  danger,  or  he  would 
not  have  exposed  himself  so  recklessly.  Nar- 
row as  was  the  opening,  his  countenance,  one 
shoulder,  and  a  portion  of  his  naked  chest 
were  in  full  view. 

Within  ten  seconds  of  doino;  this  rash  thins: 
the  report  of  Jethro  Juggens'  rifle  rang 
through  the  woods,  and  with  a  rasping 
screech  the  warrior  leaped  in  the  air  and  fell 
over  backwards  with  not  a  spark  of  life  in 
his  body.  He  could  not  have  been  killed 
more  instantaneously  by  a  stroke  of  light- 
ning. 

"  It  looks  as  dough  I  hit  something,"  mut- 
tered the  dusky  marksman,  who,  in  obedience 
to  a  sensible  rule,  kept  his  station  until  his 
gun  was  reloaded  and  reprimed.  "  Now  I'm 
ready  agin,  and  I  hopes  dey'll  all  come  up 
in  dar  turn  till  dar  ain't  any  left ;  I  wish  dat 
dat  chap  dey  calls  Mr.  Girty  would  be  de 
next." 

It  will  thus  be  perceived  that  the  rene- 
gade was  left  with  only  three  able-bodied 
companions,  and  both  of  those  shot  were  the 
victims   of  Jethro's  rifle.     To  say  the  least, 


330  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Girty's  situation  was  becoming  uncomfort- 
able. 

Five  minutes  later,  Mr.  Altman  thought 
he  had  a  glimpse  of  a  warrior  at  one  of  the 
windows  on  the  western  side  of  the  cabin,  and 
fired.  He  did  no  harm,  however,  but  gave 
emphasis  to  the  shot  of  the  colored  youth. 

While  Mr.  Altman  was  reloading  his  piece, 
uncertain  whether  he  had  done  anything  of 
moment,  Mr.  Ashbridge  discharged  his  gun 
from  the  eastern  side.  He  also  failed  to 
bring  down  his  man,  but  he  struck  him  in 
one  of  his  arms  and  rendered  him  hors  de 
combat. 

If  Simon  Girty  was  uncomfortable  before, 
he  was  now  frightened,  for  the  effective  force 
of  his  garrison  was  alarmingly  reduced.  He 
hastily  withdrew  the  latch-strings,  which  until 
then  had  been  hanging  out,  and  began  to  con- 
sider with  himself  what  was  best  to  do  with 
the  two  left  to  defend  the  cabin. 

Meanwhile,  Jethro  Juggens  was  on  the 
alert  for  another  opening.  One  peculiarity 
of  the  African's  marksmanship  was,  that  he 
fired  with  astonishing  quickness.     It  may  be 


JETHEO  JUGGENS  ON  GUARD.  331 

said  lie  sighted  his  gun  while  in  the  act  of 
bringing  it  to  a  level. 

"What  de  mischief  am  dat?"  he  suddenly- 
asked,  jDuzzled  more  by  what  he  saw  than  by 
anything  that  had  occurred  since  entering  in 
upon  this  memorable  undertaking. 

Since  the  only  fatal  shot  had  come  from 
the  rear  of  the  cabin,  Simon  Girty  concluded 
that  Kenton  had  shifted  his  position  to  that 
point,  and  he  now  attempted  to  open  commu- 
nication with  him. 

That  which  aroused  the  wonder  of  Jethro 
was  the  protrusion  of  a  ramrod  through  one 
of  the  lower  windows.  Attached  to  it  was  a 
mass  of  white  homesj^un  linen,  though  the 
person  swaying  it  was  invisible. 

It  was  Simon  Girty  himself,  who,  with  the 
result  of  the  shot  from  that  side  of  the  house 
before  his  eyes,  took  good  care  not  to  invite  a 
repetition. 

Jethro,  we  rej^eat,  was  puzzled.  He  did 
not  associate  the  display  with  the  action  of 
Kenton  in  advancing  to  the  front  of  the 
building  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  he  studied 
it  for  some  minutes,  during  which  the  white 


332  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

linen  continued  gently  waving  back  and 
forth. 

All  at  once  the  dusky  face  lightened  up 
with  the  glow  of  discovery. 

''Why  didn't  I  tink  ob  dat  afore?  It's 
plain  as  de  nose  on  a  man's  face ;  dat  white 
man  in  dar  am  trying  to  dry  his  shirt." 

This  brilliant  intellectual  exploit  fired  the 
African  with  a  new  resolve. 

"  I'm  in  need  ob  a  shirt,  I'm  bound  to  hab 
dat  or  git  hurt." 

Under  other  circumstances,  he  would  have 
been  hurt  most  assuredly,  for,  with  his  gun 
in  his  left  hand,  he  ran  in  a  crouching  posi- 
tion toward  the  cabin,  aiming  for  the  corner 
instead  of  going  in  a  direct  line  to  the  win- 
dow where  the  object  was  still  fluttering  in 
plain  view. 

No  one  seemed  to  notice  his  action,  for  he 
reached  the  building  unchallenged.  There  he 
paused  and  chuckled. 

"  Dat  ere  garment  b'longs  to  Jethro  Jug- 
gens;  it  am  a  mighty  good  article,  suah." 

The  flag  of  truce  in  this  instance  was  really 
a  shirt.     Among  the  plunder  taken  from  the 


JETHEO  JUGGENS  ON  GUARD.  333 

flatboat,  which  was  afterward  burned,  were  a 
number  of  coarse,  homespun  undergarments, 
such  as  was  the  fashion  at  the  time,  and  were 
all  the  product  of  the  spinning-wheel.  There 
w^ere  handkerchiefs,  too,  but  Girty,  in  his 
eagerness  to  open  negotiations  with  Kenton, 
displayed  the  largest  article,  with  the  object 
of  attracting  immediate  attention. 

As  stealthily  as  a  cat,  Jethro  stole  along 
the  side  of  the  cabin,  his  head  bent  low,  and 
his  eager  eyes  fixed  on  the  garment.  His  fear 
was  that  it  would  be  withdrawn  before  he 
could  secure  it. 

"  Dat  am  a  good  way  to  dry  a  shirt,  when 
yo'  am  in  a  hurry — just  swing  it  back  and 
forth  in  de  warm  air,  and  it'll  fotch  it." 

A  few  minutes  later  he  paused  directly  un- 
der it.  The  big  hand  was  softly  extended 
upward,  and  the  instant  the  fleecy  garment 
swung  toward  him,  he  reached  out  and  seized 
it.  Like  a  flash  it  was  flirted  from  its  support 
and  the  caj^tor  ran  swiftly  across  the  clearing 
for  the  shelter  of  the  woods. 

When  Girty  felt  the  flag  of  truce  disap- 
pear he  thought  it  had  fallen  of  itself.     Con- 


334  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

ficlent  that  if  it  had  been  seen  its  character 
would  be  respected,  he  rose  from  his  stoop- 
ing posture  and  peered  through  the  narrow 
window. 

Could  he  believe  his  eyes  ?  A  burly  negro 
youth  was  just  vanishing  among  the  trees 
with  the  white  garment  fluttering  above  his 
head. 

Had  he  understood  it,  he  would  have  given 
the  audacious  thief  a  shot,  but  he  didn't  un- 
derstand it  until  after  the  fellow  had  safely 
reached  shelter.  Then  the  truth  began  to 
dawn  upon  him.  Neither  Kenton  nor  any 
of  the  white  men  had  seen  his  signal,  and, 
therefore,  knew  not  that  he  was  ready  to 
negotiate  with  them  for  the  evacuation  of  the 
fort. 

The  renegade  muttered  a  furious  execra- 
tion, and  thrust  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  through 
the  window,  intending  to  take  a  shot  at  the 
negro,  whom  he  had  seen  dodge  behind  a  tree, 
the  instant  he  showed  himself. 

But  before  he  could  discover  an  opening, 
he  detected  the  muzzle  of  the  African's  rifle 
leveled  at  himself,  and  leaped  back. 


JETHEO  JUG GENS  ON  GUARD.  335 

Never  in  all  liis  adventurous  career  did 
Simon  Girty  have  a  "  closer  call "  than  that. 
One  second  more  and  the  frontier  would  have 
been  rid  of  probably  the  most  heartily  exe- 
crated miscreant  identified  with  the  history 
of  the  west. 

It  would  have  been  a  mercy  could  such 
have  been  the  case.  But  it  was  not  so  to  be. 
Girty's  time  had  not  yet  come. 

"  I  wish  Kenton  would  show  himself,"  mut- 
tered the  renegade,  when  he  recovered  from 
his  shock ;  "  if  this  thing  keeps  on  much 
longer  thar  won't  be  any  of  us  left;  why 
does  Kenton  place  a  fool  like  that  on  this 
side  of  the  cabin  ?" 

Jethro  Juggens  chuckled  over  his  exploit. 

"  Dat  chap  am  mad  as  fury  and  I  knows 
it;  dat  am  a  wallyable  shirt,  and  I  don't 
blame  him  for  losin'  ob  his  temper;  takes 
a  good  while  to  make  de  linen  for  a  shirt, 
and  if  Marse  George  don't  want  it  too  bad 
I'll  wear  it  myself  Mought  as  well  put  it 
on  now." 

And  what  did  the  fellow  do  while  standing 
behind  the  tree  but  don  the  pilfered  garment. 


336  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Instead  of  removing  his  thin  outer  coat,  he 
merely  took  off  his  broad  hat  and  drew  the 
shirt  over  his  outer  garments. 

"I  know  dat  ain't  de  fashionable  way  to 
wear  it,"  he  reflected,  surveying  himself  as 
best  he  could,  "  but  if  I  put  it  on  in  de  regu- 
lar way  de  folks  wouldn't  be  apt  to  notice  it 
when  I  went  back." 

He  was  sufficiently  prudent  while  donning 
the  prize  to  keep  himself  out  of  sight  of  any 
one  in  the  cabin.  Had  he  not  done  so,  the 
indignant  Girty  would  have  taken  a  shot  at 
him,  and,  according  to  the  law  of  nations, 
would  have  been  justified  in  thus  punishing  a 
flagrant  violation  of  the  emblem  held  sacred 
by  all  civilized  people  (excejiting  when  the 
great  American  nation  chooses  to  capture  an 
Indian  under  it,  as  was  the  case  with  Osceola, 
the  Seminole  chieftain  and  leader). 

When  the  garment  was  adjusted  so  as  to 
suit  the  new  owner,  he  picked  up  his  rifle 
again  and  resumed  his  vigilance.  ' 

But  he  was  in  an  impatient  mood.  It 
looked  to  him  as  if  the  one  shot  he  had  fired 
was  so  successful   that   the    defenders   were 


JETHRO  JUGGENS  ON  GUARD.  337 

placed  on  their  guard  and  would  not  give  him 
a  second  opportunity. 

"  A^liat's  de  use  ob  stayin'  here  ?"  he  finally 
asked  himself.  "I  mought  watch  till  next 
week;  I'll  take  a  look  somewhar  else." 

He  began  carefully  picking  his  way  around 
the  western  side  of  the  clearing,  hoping  to 
find  Kenton,  to  whom  he  would  make  his  re- 
port. Instead  of  doing  so,  he  came  upon  Mr. 
Altman,  watchful  for  another  chance  at  the 
Shawanoes. 

When  the  surprised  gentleman  recognized 
Jethro  in  his  unique  costume,  he  demanded 
an  explanation.  The  youth  insisted  that  he 
had  picked  off  one  of  the  Indians,  and  Mr. 
Altman,  aware  of  his  skill  with  the  gun,  was 
inclined  to  believe  him. 

"  Den  one  ob  'em  stuck  out  dis  shirt  and 
begun  wavin'  it  in  de  air  to  dry  it ;  I  slipped 
up  when  he  warn't  lookin'  and  grabbed  it." 

"  You  did !"  exclaimed  the  astounded  gen- 
tleman, recognizing  the  curious  blunder ; 
"  you  don't  know  what  you  have  done." 

*'  Yes,  I  do,"  chuckled  Jethro ;  "  I've  got  a 
new  shirt — dat's  what  I've  done." 

22 


338  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  Come  with  me ;  this  is  of  more  import- 
ance than  you  imagine." 

"  Dat's  what  I  tink,"  added  the  youth,  fol- 
lowing him. 


ON  THE  FALLEN  TEEE.  339 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

ON    THE    FALLEN    TREE. 

IT  can  be  readily  understood  that  it  was  a 
gratifying  change  for  George  Ashbridge 
when  he  left  the  side  of  Kenton  and  stole 
along  the  bottom  of  the  slope  to  the  spot 
where  his  mother,  sister,  Mrs.  Altman  and 
Agnes  had  been  left,  while  the  men  under- 
took to  bring  the  Shawanoes  in  the  cabin  to 
terms. 

The  scout  showed  his  thoughtfulness  in 
selecting  the  hiding-place,  as  it  may  be  called, 
for  the  females  of  the  j)arty.  It  was  among 
the  trees,  where  there  was  little  undergrowth, 
so  near  the  river  that  all  could  look  out  on  its 
calm  surface,  besides  watching  the  flatboat 
only  a  short  distance  away.  The  vegetation 
protected  them  from  the  sun,  which  shone 
with  all  the  fervor  of  the  preceding  day,  and 
they  were  beyond  reach  of  the  sharpest-eyed 


340  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

warrior  within  the  cabin — that  is,  so  long  as 
he  did  not  come  out  of  the  building  to  look 
at  them. 

A  fallen  tree  afforded  a  seat  for  the  most 
of  the  party.  Little  Mabel,  however,  was  so 
tired  of  her  constrained  position  that  she  was 
playing  and  flitting  back  and  forth,  sometimes 
gathering  a  wild  flower  which  gleamed  here 
and  there  near  the  margin  of  the  river,  then 
arranging  twigs  and  bits  of  wood  and  leaves 
into  a  semblance  of  dolls  and  j^layhouses,  the 
likeness  being  beyond  the  power  of  any  other 
eye  to  detect.  Her  parent  kept  watch  of 
her,  that  she  should  not  pass  beyond  her 
vision. 

Agnes  had  made  an  inviting  seat  of  branches 
and  green  leaves  on  the  ground,  upon  which 
she  forced  her  wearied  mother  to  seat  herself, 
with  her  back  supported  by  the  fallen  tree. 
As  young  Ashbridge  approached,  he  saw  Mrs. 
Altman  leaning  against  the  trunk  with  her 
eyes  closed  in  gentle  sleep.  Agnes  sat  on  the 
log  near  her,  as  if  to  watch  over  her  beloved 
parent  during  slumber. 

Mabel  ceased  her  play  when  her  brother 


ON  THE  FALLEN  TREE.  341 

came  in  sight,  and  the  faces  of  all  brightened 
at  the  approach  of  the  handsome,  sturdy 
young  man.  Leaning  his  gun  against  a  tree, 
he  caught  Mabel  in  his  arms,  and  kissed  her 
with  much  affection. 

"Bless  your  heart !"  he  said,  as  he  set  her 
down  again ;  "  we  have  had  so  many  things 
to  bother  us  that  I  haven't  had  much  time  to 
give  to  you.  You  seem  happy  and  pleased, 
Mabel,  dear." 

"I  am,"  was  her  cheery  reply,  looking 
laughingly  up  in  the  face  of  her  brother ; 
"  this  is  a  good  deal  nicer  than  being  on  the 
boat,  where  you  haven't  any  chance  for  fun 
at  all ;  when  are  we  going  into  our  new 
house?" 

'*Some  time  to-day,  I  hope,"  replied  the 
youth,  seating  himself  on  the  tree,  after  em- 
bracing his  mother ;  "but  you  mustn't  stray 
off  in  the  woods,  for  there  are  bad  Indians 
waiting  to  catch  such  nice  little  girls  as  you." 

"  I  will  keep  in  sight  of  mamma,  for  she 
told  me  to,"  was  the  dutiful  reply  of  the 
child,  who  henceforth  gave  all  her  attention 
to  amusing  herself. 


342  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  position  of  the  youth  on  the  fallen  tree 
was  between  his  mother  and  Alice  Altman, 
who  reached  up  her  hand  and  returned  the 
warm  pressure,  after  he  had  saluted  his  mother 
and  turned  to  seat  himself. 

"  Maria  and  I  talked  the  matter  over  before 
she  went  to  sleep,"  remarked  the  parent,  re- 
ferring to  Mrs.  Altman,  "  and  we  agreed  that 
of  all  strange  positions  in  which  we  have 
been  placed  since  leaving  home,  this  is  the 
strangest." 

"  There  can  be  doubt  of  that ;  I  wonder," 
added  the  son,  with  a  smile,  "  whether  any- 
family  settling  in  the  west  had  to  drive  the 
Indians  out  of  their  house  before  going  in 
themselves.  I  never  heard  of  anything  of 
the  kind." 

"  And  yet  it  might  have  happened  for  all 
that,"  remarked  Agnes,  "for  in  what  way 
could  we  learn  a  hundredth  part  of  the  things 
that  occur  every  day  ?" 

"  In  no  way  at  all,  but  in  all  cases  of  which 
I  have  heard,  it  was  the  Indians  that  were 
on  the  outside  trying  to  get  at  the  people 
within." 


ON  THE  FALLEN  TREE.  343 

"Mr.  Kenton  must  have  hope  of  driving 
out  the  Shawanoes,"  continued  the  mother, 
"  but  I  am  afraid  we  made  a  sad  mistake  in 
not  stopping  for  a  time  at  the  block-house, 
as  we  were  urged  to  do,  until  the  Indians 
became  quiet." 

"  Kenton  has  made  the  same  remark  to  me." 

"  I  overheard  enough  said  by  him  to  un- 
derstand that  The  Panther,  whom  he  went 
out  in  the  woods  to  fight,  ran  away.  Now, 
won't  he  be  likely  to  hurry  off  and  bring  a 
good  many  warriors  back  to  attack  us  ?" 

The  youth  looked  admiringly  into  the 
bright  face  of  Agnes  at  his  side,  as  she  turned 
toward  him  with  the  question. 

"You  have  stated  the  whole  thing  just  as 
it  stands,  Agnes;  Kenton  has  explained  it 
to  me.  He  hopes  to  drive  out  the  Indians 
before  The  Panther  can  return  with  his  war- 
riors. And  remember  we  are  not  really  sure 
he  means  to  do  that.  When  we  get  in  there, 
with  our  furniture  and  provisions,  we  shall 
be  strong  enough  to  hold  it  against  the  big- 
gest party  of  Shawanoes  that  can  be  brought 
against  us." 


344  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  But  they  may  besiege  the  cabin,"  sug- 
gested the  mother. 

"  What  of  it?"  coolly  asked  George. 

"  What  will  you  do  for  water,  which  cannot 
last  long?" 

"  Drink  all  we  want ;  father  and  I  talked 
the  thing  over  when  we  were  putting  up  the 
house.  We  concluded  that  it  is  a  good  deal 
worse  to  suffer  from  thirst  than  from  hunger, 
and  we  made  sure  we  never  could  do  that. 
You  remember  the  corner  on  the  right  and 
at  the  rear,  as  you  look  at  the  cabin  from  the 
river  ?  Well,  in  that  corner  is  a  well,  which 
father  and  T  dug.  We  had  to  go  down  only 
about  a  dozen  feet  when  we  struck  water — 
plenty  of  it." 

"  It  must  connect  with  the  river,"  said  Ag- 
nes. 

"  No  doubt  of  that ;  so  the  well  won't  run 
dry  until  the  Ohio  gives  out,  and  when  that 
takes  place  the  '  varmints,'  as  Kenton  calls 
them,  will  give  out,  too.  There  is  plenty  of 
flour  and  some  coffee,  tea,  sugar,  and  other 
things  on  the  boat.  Now,  if  we  get  them  in- 
side the  building,  what  is  to  prevent  our  keep- 


ON  THE  FALLEN  TEEE.  345 

ing  the  whole  tribe  of  Shawanoes  or  Wyan- 
dots  off  as  long  as  we  want  to  ?" 

"  That  sounds  feasible  enough,  mj  son,  but 
a  danger  more  dreadful  than  thirst  and  all 
others  combined,  threatens  people  in  the  posi- 
tion we  would  be.  They  would  burn  the  house 
and  every  one  inside." 

"  I  dread  that  more  than  anything,"  added 
Agnes,  with  a  shudder. 

"  AVell,  it's  enough  to  make  any  one  dread 
it.  Father  and  I  talked  it  over  a  good  many 
times,  when  we  were  putting  up  the  house, 
and  tried  to  figure  on  some  way  of  making  it 
proof  against  fire.  We  couldn't  think  of  any 
means,  but  we  did  all  we  could." 

"  What  did  you  do  ?"  asked  his  mother. 

"  In  the  first  place,  the  roof  is  very  steep. 
No  Indian  could  hold  on  to  it  long  enouo-h  to 
do  anything,  for  the  minute  he  began  mov- 
ing his  hands  he  would  slip  off." 

"  And  why  would  he  wish  to  go  on  the 
roof?"  asked  Agnes. 

*'  They  do  it  now  and  then,  so  as  to  help 
burn  the  building ;  but  I'll  own  they  would 
not  be  be  likely  to  do  it  here.     The  timbers. 


346  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

however,  are  very  hard,  and  the  burning 
arrows  which  they  fire  would  be  apt  to  slip 
loose  and  fall  to  the  ground  without  doing 
damage." 

"  That  might  be  a  partial  protection,  my 
son,  but  it  would  fail  after  a  time." 

"  We  have  a  much  better  safeguard  than 
that — one  that  for  a  time  is  sure." 

Mother  and  Agnes  looked  inquiringly  at 
the  youth  between  them. 

"  The  timbers  are  so  green,"  he  explained, 
"that  by  no  possible  means  could  a  flame  be 
induced  to  take  hold.  The  cabin,  as  it  stands 
just  now,  is  absolutely  fire-proof." 

"  How  long  will  it  continue  so,  with  the 
hot  summer  sun  beating  down  on  the  roof?" 

"  The  roof  must  become  seasoned  before 
long,  I'll  admit,"  replied  the  youth,  who  was 
doing  his  best  to  combat  the  hard  sense 
of  his  mother  and  Agnes,  "  and  then,  in  time, 
it  will  become  so  dry  that  it  will  burn  like 
tinder  ;  though  it  must  be  a  good  while  before 
those  logs  of  which  the  sides  are  made  can  be 
forced  into  a  blaze." 

"  If  they   never   become   dry   enough    for 


ON  THE  FALLEN  TEEE.  347 

that,"  said  the  mother,  "  it  would  help  us  not 
the  least  if  the  roof  could  be  fired ;  that  would 
be  sufficient  to  burn  us  all  to  death  without  a 
chance  to  help  ourselves." 

"  The  well  inside  would  serve  to  postpone 
the  dreadful  hour." 

"  But  only  to  postpone  it,  for  its  coming 
would  be  inevitable." 

Just  then  Mabel  called  to  her  mother  to 
help  her  arrange  a  doll-house  which  j)ersisted 
in  falling  down  the  moment  she  got  the  frame- 
work in  shape.  The  kind-hearted  parent 
hurried  to  her  assistance,  kneeling  down  with 
her  back  toward  George  Ashbridge  and  Alice 
Altman. 

"Alice,"  said  the  youth,  in  a  low  voice, 
moving  slightly  nearer  to  her,  so  near,  in- 
deed, that  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
lessen  the  space  between  them,  and  taking 
her  hand,  "  do  you  think  we  have  made  a 
mistake  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  what  to  think,"  she  re- 
plied, seemingly  unconscious  that  her  delicate 
fingers  were  imprisoned  by  the  youth,  who 
fondled  and  pressed  them,  "  but  I  do  think 


348  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

that  if  we  knew  so  sad  a  condition  of  affairs 
were  to  meet  us,  your  father  and  mine  would 
have  waited  awhile  before  coming  to  Ken- 
tucky." 

"  We  shall  know  the  conclusion  of  the  mat- 
ter before  the  day  closes.  No  one  is  as  wise 
as  Kenton  in  the  ways  of  the  woods,  and  he 
will  do  what  is  best  for  us  all.  He  cares  little 
for  himself  and  everything  for  us." 

"From  what  you  have  been  told,  I  shall 
feel  safe  if  we  succeed  in  entering  the  house 
without  harm  coming  to  any  one  of  us. 
There  have  been  three  shots  fired,  besides  the 
one  which  came  so  near  hitting  Kenton.  I 
have  been  wondering  whether  any  help  is 
likely  to  come  from  the  block-house." 

"  I  have  not  asked  Kenton  about  that,  but 
the  block-house  is  so  far  off  that  it  seems  to 
me  we  can  count  on  nothing  from  that 
source.  Capt.  Bushwick  would  be  glad  to  do 
what  he  can  for  us,  for  he  has  a  number  of 
brave  men,  but  how  can  he  suspect  we  are  in 
need  of  help  ?" 

"  He  knows  we  have  come  down  the  river 
after  his  warning  us  not  to  do  so,  and  if  the 


ON  THE  FALLEN  TREE.  349 

Indians  are  particularly  hostile,  he  may  de- 
cide to  look  after  us." 

"  Do  you  know,  Alice,  I  have  hnagined  it 
might  be  the  best  thing  that  could  happen  if 
the  Indians  should  attack  us  while  we  are  all 
in  the  cabin  ?" 

"  And  why  do  you  think  that  ?" 

"  If  Kenton  stays  with  us,  we  shall  be  so 
strong  that  we  can  beat  off  any  number  of 
assailants,  I  don't  care  how  many ;  the  roof 
and  timbers  are  too  green  to  take  fire,  and 
with  the  well  and  our  stock  of  provisions  to 
draw  upon,  we  can  hold  them  off  for  weeks." 

*'  And  what  then  ?" 

"  The  lesson  will  discourage  the  red  men, 
and  they  will  leave  us  alone." 

"  It  may  be  so,"  replied  the  girl,  thought- 
fully, "  but  no  one  of  us  has  been  hurt  so  far, 
and  I  feel  the  good  fortune  cannot  last.  If 
anything  should  befall  father  or  mother,  or — 
you,  it  would  kill  me." 

"  And  I  would  give  my  life  rather  than 
have  anything  happen  to  you,  Agnes,  for," 
he  added,  with  another  gentle  pressure  of  the 
imprisoned  hand,  "  I  love  you."  . 


350  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

The  sweet  face  bent  lower,  and  tlie  pink 
cheeks  took  on  a  more  crimson  hue.  She 
was  silent,  but  the  heart  of  the  youth  gave  a 
quicker,  a  more  delicious  throb  when  he  felt  the 
dimpled  hand  close  impulsively  around  his. 

No  word  was  spoken,  but  that  gentle,  soft 
pressure  was  the  language  of  pure  affection, 
and  it  came  from  the  heart. 

"  Because  you  are  with  us,  Alice,"  he  con- 
tinued, '^  I  shall  fight  the  harder  to  prevent 
even  the  cold  breath  of  winter  or  the  hot  rays 
of  the  sun  from  reaching  you.  I  would  give 
my  life  to  save  father,  mother,  Mabel  or  you ; 
do  you  doubt  me  ?" 

"  No,  dear  George,  I  could  not  if  I  wished 
to." 

A  rustling  of  the  undergrowth  caused  the 
two  to  start  and  look  up.  Mr.  Altman  and 
Jethro  Juggens  stood  before  them.  At  the 
same  moment,  Mrs.  Altman,  having  made  the 
doll-house  keep  its  legs,  arose  and  approached 
the  tree  where  the  lovers  sat. 

"  My  gracious !"  exclaimed  the  amused 
George  Ashbridge,  "  where  did  you  get  that 
thing  you  have  on,  Jethro  ?" 


ox  THE  FALLEN  TEEE.  351 

"  Dat's  a  shirt  dat  I  took  away  from  dat 
reumgade ;  it  am  mine ;  what  you  think  ob 
it  ?  doesn't  it  fit  bootiful  ?" 

"  It's  a  flag  of  truce,"  said  Mr.  Altman ; 
**  signal  to  Kenton  to  come  here  without  de- 
lay ;  the  crisis  is  at  hand.'* 


352  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CONCLUSION. 

WITHOUT  waiting  for  further  explana- 
tion from  Mr.  Altman,  George  Ash- 
bridge  signaled  to  Kenton,  who  was  not  far 
oflP.  Hardly  a  minute  passed  before  the 
ranger  was  with  them.  Mr.  Altman  related 
the  incident  of  the  captured  shirt,  with  which 
the  reader  is  familiar. 

Never  did  any  member  of  the  party  see  the 
scout  laugh  so  heartily  as  when  he  heard  this 
story.  He  shook  from  head  to  foot  with  silent 
mirth.  Then,  mastering  himself,  he  turned 
and  looked  at  the  proud  but  wondering  Jethro, 
with  the  outer  garment  worn  as  our  brother 
Chinese  wear  their  blouses,  and  laughed  again. 

But  there  was  a  serious  side  to  the  matter. 
The  first  thing  done  by  Kenton  w^as  to  signal 
to  Mr.  Ashbridge  to  join  them.  His  wife  was 
already  awake,  and  the  whole  party  were  now 


CONCLUSION.  353 

grouped  in  the  woods,  on  the  lower  side  of  the 
clearing. 

"  Girty  and  the  Shawanoes  have  made  up 
their  minds  to  leave,  if  we  are  willing ;  I 
don't  'spose  ony  one  has  'bjections?" 

"  Very  far  from  it,"  replied  Mr.  Altman, 
Mr.  Ashbridire  noddino;  his  head. 

"  I  doan'  know  dat  I  feels  any  disumjec- 
tions,"  said  Jethro  Juggens,  "  perwided  it  am 
'ranged  dat  dis  shirt  am  to  stay  wid  me." 

"I'll  promise  you  that,"  replied  Kenton, 
whose  partiality  for  the  African  was  increased 
by  the  knowledge  that  about  all  the  execution 
done  by  the  party  had  been  by  the  dusky 
youth.     "  No  one  shall  take  it  from  you." 

"  Tank  you,"  responded  Jethro,  lifting  his 
straw  hat  and  bowing  low. 

"  Iqi  going  forred,"  added  Kenton,  "  to  tell 
Girty  that  he  and  the  rest  can  leave  as  soon 
as  they  want  to,  and  we  won't  hurt  one  of 
'em  as  long  as  they  behave  themselves.  It'll 
be  well,  howsumever,"  he  continued,  glancing 
at  the  men,  "  to  stay  right  here,  with  your 
guns  loaded,  and  on  the  watch  for  the  var- 
mints ;  they're  mighty  tricky." 

23 


354  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Once  more  the  ranger  produced  his  large 
white  handkerchief,  and  swinging  it  above 
his  head,  passed  round  to  the  front  of  the 
cabin  and  advanced  toward  the  building.  The 
renegade  was  expecting  him,  and  drew  the 
door  inward,  while  the  ranger  was  yet  several 
rods  distant. 

Everything  was  arranged  within  the  fol- 
lowing ten  minutes.  Then  followed  a  strange 
scene.  The  door  was  opened  wide  and  two 
warriors  stepped  forth,  bearing  the  uncon- 
scious form  of  one  of  their  number  between 
them.  It  was  the  body  of  the  one  who 
rashly  looked  out  upon  the  forest  from  the 
rear  window  when  Jethro  Juggens  was  on 
duty. 

Then  came  two  others,  one  limping  pain- 
fully and  leaning  upon  his  companion,  whose 
arm  had  been  badly  wounded  by  Mr.  Altman. 
They  had  found  enough  material  within  the 
cabin  to  bind  up  their  hurts,  and  doubtless 
would  recover  in  time,  if  they  exercised  ordi- 
nary prudence. 

That  was  all — ah,  no;  one  remained,  the 
worst  savage  of  them  all.     Simon  Girty,  the 


CONCLUSION.  355 

renegade,  walked  at  the  rear,  as  if  trying  to 
use  the  others  as  a  shield  against  his  hidden 
enemies,  though  he  could  not  have  known 
from  what  quarter  danger  threatened. 

This  remarkable  procession  moved  to  the 
southward,  entered  the  wood  near  the  point 
where  Jethro  Juggens  had  been  stationed, 
and  disappeared  from  sight. 

Simon  Kenton,  rifle  in  hand,  stood  motion- 
less, with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  crippled  party 
until  they  had  vanished.  Then  he  turned 
and  rejoined  his  friends,  all  of  whom  had  so 
far  forgotten  instructions  as  to  peep  through 
the  undergrowth  and  watch  the  curiously  in- 
teresting proceedings. 

"Wal,  friends,"  said  the  pleased  scout, 
"the  varmints  are  gone,  and  the  way  is 
open." 

"  What  is  the  next  step  ?"  asked  Mr.  Ash- 
bridge. 

"  We'll  swing  the  flatboat  in  to  shore,  and 
carry  whatever  stuff  you  have  into  the  house. 
As  soon  as  that  is  done.  The  Panther  and  the 
rest  of  'em  can  come  on  as  soon  as  they 
please." 


356  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

"  But,"  suggested  the  bright-witted  Agnes 
Altman,  "suppose,  Mr.  Kenton,  they  come 
before  we  get  everything  moved  into  the 
house."  , 

"That's  worth  thinking  of;  if  the  varmints 
arrive  while  we  are  at  work  they'll  have  us 
foul;  instead  of  my  helping  you  carry  the 
things,  I'll  let  Jethro  do  my  part,  while  I 
sarkylate  through  the  woods  to  make  sure 
The  Panther  and  his  friends  don't  arrive  too 
promiscus  like." 

This  seemed  eminently  sensible,  and  the 
plan  was  commended  by  all,  except,  perhaps, 
Jethro  Juggens,  who  could  not  view  with 
favor  the  vast  amount  of  work  that  confronted 
him,  but  he  was  too  wise  to  make  any  pro- 
test. 

The  knowledge  that  the  peerless  scout  was 
keeping  guard  removed  the  haunting  fear 
that  otherwise  would  have  hindered  the 
work  of  the  folks.  All  set  to  with  right 
good  will  and  ardor  to  transfer  the  furniture, 
provisions  and  luggage  on  the  flatboat  to  the 
cabin. 

Two  facts  will  be  borne  in  mind.     There 


CX)NCLUSION.  857 

was  not  a  great  deal  to  be  removed,  and  com- 
paratively a  large  force  to  remove  it.  When 
Jethro  Juggens,  Mr.  Aslibridge,  Mr.  Altman 
and  George  Ashbrid2;e  were  loaded  down 
comparatively  little  was  left.  Then  the 
women  and  younger  ones  did  their  part,  so 
that  within  less  than  two  hours  not  a  thing 
they  needed  remained  in  the  flatboat.  The 
breaking  apart  of  the  craft  and  the  use  of 
the  timbers  were  left  to  a  more  convenient 
season. 

And  so  the  work  was  completed  without 
molestation,  and  without  the  sound  of  hostile 
shot  or  cry. 

Unexpectedly  to  the  pioneers,  the  interior 
of  the  building  was  found  uninjured.  This 
was  hardly  due  to  any  good  will  on  the  part 
of  Girty  and  the  Shawanoes  ;  but,  apprehend- 
ing a  possible  conflict  and  siege,  it  was  to 
their  interest  to  keep  everything  in  order. 
AVhen  the  tables  were  turned,  the  fear  of 
offending  their  conquerors  restrained  the 
hands  that  would  have  been  only  too  willing 
to  ravage  and  destroy  the  structure  reared 
with  so  much  labor  and  pains. 


358  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

Kenton  advanced  from  the  woods  on  the 
right,  and  had  started  across  the  clearing  to 
enter  the  building  when  he  stopjDcd  abruptly, 
for  at  that  moment  a  man  emerged  from  the 
woods  on  the  other  side,  and  with  a  familiar 
salutation  came  toward  him. 

This  new  arrival  was  a  sturdy  figure,  not  so 
tall  as  Kenton,  but  dressed  like  him  and  simi- 
larly armed.  He  carried  his  long,  heavy  rifle 
over  his  shoulder,  and  displayed  no  hesitation 
in  coming  forward. 

A  nearer  approach  showed  the  new  ar- 
rival to  be  a  number  of  years  older  than 
Kenton,  with  eyes  as  blue  as  his,  a  rather 
thin  and  long  nose,  a  smooth-shaven  face,  and 
a  calm,  beneficent  expression.  That  he  was 
accustomed  to  the  wilderness  and  its  perils 
was  manifest  at  a  glance. 

"  Howdy  ?"  said  the  latter,  extending  his 
broad  palm,  which  was  warmly  clas|)ed  by 
Kenton,  who  responded : 

"Never  better,  Boone;  how  is  it  with  you  ?" 

'•'  The  same  ;  what's  happened  ?" 

Kenton  briefly  related  the  events  of  the  last 
twenty-four  hours.     The  picture  was  worthy 


CONCLUSION.  359 

of  the  pencil  of  the  artist;  for  the  reader 
need  hardly  be  reminded  that  Daniel  Boone 
and  Simon  Kenton  are  universally  conceded 
to  have  been  the  foremost  hunters,  scouts,  and 
pioneers  identified  with  the  early  days  of  Ohio 
and  Kentucky.  They  were  close  friends  and 
remained  so  through  life.  Companions  often 
in  peril,  the  heroes  of  innumerable  hair- 
breadth escapes ;  captives  themselves  to  the 
redmen,  but  never  losing  their  "grip"  upon 
the  infant  AYest,  they  respected  and  ad- 
mired each  other's  bravery  and  estimable  per- 
sonal qualities  too  deeply  ever  to  allow  a 
shadow^  to  come  between  them. 

But,  we  repeat  what  we  said  in  the  opening 
chapter,  Simon  Kenton  was  the  superior  in 
many  respects  to  the  elder  and  more  famous 
pioneer. 

"I  arriv'  at  the  block-house  yesterday," 
said  Boone,  "  a  little  while  after  this  flatboat 
had  gone  past.  I'd  been  out  among  the  red- 
skins, and  found  them  looking  so  squally,  that 
I  told  Captain  Bushwick  these  people  were 
sartin  to  git  into  trouble.  He  agreed  with 
me,  and   called  a  lot  of  the    boys   together. 


360  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

We  decided  to  cross  the  river  and  come 
down  to  the  clearing  to  find  out  how  matters 
stood." 

"  Wal,  how  do  you  find  'em  ?"  asked  Ken- 
ton. 

''  All  right ;  as  I  would  have  knowed  they 
would  be  if  you  was  with  'em,  Simon." 

The  young  ranger  smiled  and  bowed  in 
recognition  of  this  pointed  compliment. 

"  P'raps  I've  been  a  little  help  to  'em,"  he 
said,  modestly,  "but  you  would  have  done 
better,  Dan'l." 

"  I  couldn't,  for  you've  saved  'em  all ;  we 
had  a  hot  scrimmage  with  a  party  of  Shaw- 
anoes  this  morning," 

"Where?" 

"  Some  miles  up  the  river ;  we  come  onto 
'em  near  the  spring,  where  you  told  me  you 
had  the  row  with  The  Panther  last  nisrht." 

"  How  many  were  there  ?"  asked  the  deeply 
interested  Kenton. 

"  'Bout  twenty,  more  or  less ;  we  cleaned 
'em  out,"  added  Boone,  with  a  flash  of  the  eye, 
"  scattered  'em  right  and  left." 

"  Which  way  was  they  coming  ?" 


CONCLUSION.  361 

"  Toward  this  point ;  but  there's  nothing  to 
be  feared  from  'em  now." 

Simon  Kenton  was  vastly  relieved.  This 
must  have  been  the  war  party  that  The  Pan- 
ther had  set  out  to  find  and  bring  to  the  clear- 
ing. By  Providential  direction,  Boone  and 
his  companions  had  come  upon  them  ahead 
of  their  chief  and  substantially  exterminated 
them. 

The  fangs  of  The  Panther  had  been  drawn  ; 
nothing  was  to  be  feared  from  him,  for  a  time 
at  least. 

"  Didn't  see  anything  of  that  varmint  they 
call  Wa-on-mon,  The  Panther,  I  'spose  ?" 

"  No.  If  he  seed  us  he  kept  out  of  the 
way." 

"  I'm  rather  glad  of  that ;  for  him  and  me 
has  got  to  meet  yet,  and  close  up  this  acount 
atween  us.  Where's  the  boys  ?" 

"  In  camp,  'bout  a  mile  up  the  river." 

"  I  didn't  hear  anything  of  you  firing  last 
night,"  resumed  Kenton  ;  "  but  the  woods  are 
so  thick  you  can't  hear  a  thing  like  that  very 
fur.  Now,  the  question  is,  whether  these  folks 
had  better  stay  where  they  are,  or  go  back  to 


362  SHOD  WITH  SILENCE. 

the  block-house  and  wait  awhile.     What  do 
you  think,  Dan'l  ?" 

"  Let  me  take  a  look  at  'em,  and  at  the  in- 
side of  their  house." 

The  two  walked  to  the  entrance  of  the 
cabin  and  entered.  Boone  had  been  noticed 
by  our  friends,  and  when  he  was  introduced 
was  made  most  welcome.  He  talked  with 
them  a  long  time,  meanwhile  carefully  study- 
ing their  means  of  defence.  He  was  especially 
pleased  with  the  well  that  had  been  dug  in 
the  corner.  He  finally  pronounced  the  little 
dwelling  the  best  prepared  for  a  successful  re- 
sistance to  attack  or  siege  that  he  had  ever 
seen. 

"  If  I  had  my  family  here,"  he  finally  said, 
''  even  though  the  Injins  were  on  the  war-path 
all  around  us,  I  would  stick." 

That  settled  the  matter.  The  Ashbrido-es 
and  Altmaus  decided  to  remain  and  take  their 
chances  against  the  hostility  of  the  redmen, 
who,  from  signs  noted  by  Kenton,  Boone,  and ' 
other  rangers,  had  unquestionably  begun  ac- 
tive hostilities. 

And  this  decision  having  been  reached,  we 


CONCLUSION.  363 

bid  good-by  for  the  present  to  the  pioneers, 
who  at  last  were  established  in  their  new  home 
in  the  western  wilderness.  Whether  they  were 
wise  or  unwise  in  making  and  following  this 
decision  shall  be  made  known  to  the  reader  at 
an  early  day,  by  the  "  Phantom  of  the  Kiver." 


THE  END. 


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